Udhampur, May 17: The Government College for Women (GCW), Udhampur, proudly hosted its Sports Felicitation Ceremony for the session 2024–25, a vibrant and inspiring celebration dedicated to honouring the achievements, determination, and sportsmanship of the college’s athlete students.
The event was organised to recognize those who brought laurels to the institution at state and national levels, often overcoming challenges related to infrastructure and resources.
The ceremony opened with a spirited welcome by Charru Sharma and Komal Sharma, who eloquently highlighted the values of hard work, resilience, and the pursuit of excellence that define every sportsperson. The college was privileged to have Pawan Gupta, MLA Udhampur West Constituency, as the Chief Guest. In the welcome address, Principal Dr. Nalini Pathania expressed
heartfelt gratitude to Gupta for his presence and unwavering encouragement towards youth empowerment through sports. A solemn Lighting of the Lamp ceremony marked the formal beginning of the event, symbolising the illumination of knowledge and the collective hope for a bright and empowered future. The Chief Guest, Principal, faculty, and students together joined in this symbolic act. Dr. Mukesh Kumar, Head of the Department of Sports and Organising Secretary of the event, presented a detailed account of the college’s remarkable achievements in the 2024–25 session. Despite lacking basic sports infrastructure, the students participated in over 40 major
events held in Jammu University, securing medals and recognition against well-resourced competitors from across the region. In his keynote address, Chief Guest Pawan Gupta ji emphasized the transformative power of sports, especially for the youth. He shared powerful insights into how athletic activities not only develop physical strength but also enhance brain functioning. He explained how eccentric and concentric muscle activities contribute to neuro-muscular growth, and how fascia strengthening through regular exercise supports long-term physical stability. Shri Gupta further
noted that a physically active lifestyle significantly reduces the risk of neurological and cardiovascular diseases such as Alzheimer’s, glaucoma-related syndromes, Parkinson’s disease and heart disorders.
His remarks strongly reinforced the importance of sports as a foundational pillar of national health and development. One of the key highlights of the event was the presentation of the
Best Session Awards for 2024–25, recognizing individual excellence in
various sports categories. The awards were conferred upon the
following outstanding athletes:
• Charru Sharma was honoured as the Best Athlete
of the Batch (2022–25).
• Mamta and Komal Sharma were also awarded for
their exceptional contributions and consistent performances.
• Preety Sharma received the prestigious Best
Athlete of the Session (2024–25) award.
• Simran Sharma was recognized as the Best
Endurance Athlete of the Session.
• Ankita Sharma was declared the Fastest Athlete
of the Session (2024–25).
