Budgam Hosts U-19 Football Tournament Amid Ongoing Grassroots Sports Push

Budgam, July 11:  While the Union Territory government continues to promote sports at the grassroots level, the Department of Youth Services and Sports (YSS) is playing a pivotal role in translating that vision into action on the ground, despite visible staff shortages.A statement issued here said that from REKs and NYCs to Physical Education Masters at the zonal and inter-zonal levels, departmental staff remain at the forefront of youth engagement through regular sporting activities. As part of its ongoing efforts, the YSS Department Budgam organised an Under-19 Boys Football Tournament at the Sports Stadium Charar-e-Sharief, featuring teams from six zones of the district: Chadoora, Khan Sahib, Dreygam, BK Pora, Charar Sharief and Nagam.The inaugural match was formally kicked off by District Youth Services and Sports Officer Ghulam Hassan Lone, who attended as Chief Guest. Zonal Physical Officer Jahan Ara and In-charge Sports Activity Ghulam Hassan Khanday were also present at the opening ceremony. Speaking to the young athletes, Lone encouraged students to participate wholeheartedly in sports, especially football, and issued a strong appeal to stay away from drugs and lead disciplined, active lives. In the opening encounter, Zone Nagam delivered a dominant performance against Zone Dreygam, securing a convincing win and advancing to the next round of the tournament. Meanwhile, various inter-school and inter-zonal competitions are being held simultaneously across the district as part of the department’s calendar of activities. Despite limited resources and staffing challenges, the Youth Services and Sports Department continues to foster a culture of healthy competition and youth empowerment through such events, demonstrating its commitment to holistic development and drug-free youth engagement.