Srinagar, June 28 (Scoop News) – 14th Police Martyrs Memorial Football Tournament-2012 would commence in Srinagar from June 30th. The tournament is being organised by Jammu and Kashmir Police, in which a record number of 56 renowned teams in and outside of the state are participating in this fortnight long Tournament.
This was disclosed by Director General of Police (DGP), K. Rajendra Kumar, while addressing a Press Conference here this morning. He said that Jammu and Kashmir Police is organizing annually the prestigious tournament in memory of those brave personnel of the force who laid down their lives for the integrity of nation. He said the tournament was initiated in the year 1998 in the memory of Inspector Mushtaq Ahmed Baba the then SHO Kothibagh, who made supreme sacrifice while saving the civilians at Regal Chowk Srinagar in 1997. He said the tournament being organized under the aegis of Jammu and Kashmir Football Association would be played on knockout basis and in all 56 teams including some outstanding teams of national fame are participating in the tournament which include Uttrakhand, BSF X1, Punjab University, Maharashtra, RCF Kapurthala, Bihar, West Bengal, CRPF, Hoshiarpur and Punjab Police.
Giving further details, the DGP said that 56 teams from across the State representing different districts are also participating in the tournament besides some teams representing the state departments including JK Bank, JKP, JK Forests, R&B and CAPD. In all 56 matches would be played at two venues viz Bakshi Stadium and Polo-Ground, he added.
Rajendra said that all the arrangements have been finalized for the tournament and the football lovers are showing keen interest in the tournament as they would get an opportunity to watch excellent matches during the tournament. He said that such events are organized with the aim to cultivate talent among the youth in different games and also shape their excellence. He said that the Organization under its civic action programme, has been conducting various programmes benefiting the people particularly the youth belonging to poor pockets of the state. Students from down trodden areas are taken for educational tours to expose them with the changing world and enhance their mental capabilities. He said that during the previous year sports material was distributed among the sports academies, band equipments and other material to support them in exhibiting their talent in the respective fields. He said that youth camps were organized to introduce skills of tracking and mountaineering among the participants. Moreover various sports and cultural events were conducted to inspire the youth towards the sports and cultural activities. And provide them a platform to excel, he added.
On the conclusion of press conference, the DGP addressed also a group of school children and asked them to avail the opportunities being provided by JKP in the arena of sports to polish their talent. He said that the Organization has been providing coaching classes to the youth having talent in different games through its reputed coaches to make them able for competition at higher levels. He also distributed various sports kits among the children under civic action programme.
Among others, the press conference was attend by ADsGP, Dr. S. P. Vaid and Naveen Aggarwal, IsGP, S. M. Sahai, Dr. B. Srinivas, A. K. Chowdhary, Rauf-ul-Hassan, M. Sulaiman Salaria, Dr. K. K. Saini, Yoginder Koul, Alokpuri, Muneer Ahmed Khan and A. Q. Manhas. DIsGP, T. Namgiyal, A. S. Bali, S.A. Watali, Ahfadul Mujataba, S. A. Hamid and Shakeel Ahmad Beig, Staff Officer to ADGP, Ashok Sharma, Secretary JK Sports Council, Dileep Thussu, President JKFA, Zameer Thakur, Tournament Director, S. A. Hamid, Resident Secretary JKFA, Prof. B. A. Shah, Treasurer JKFA, Faiyaz Ahmed, IRP/Armed Commandants, Kifiyar Hyder, Mohammad Yousuf Mir, Altaf Ahmed, G. R. Dar, M. S. Panu and G. H. Shah.