Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha attended the inaugural ceremony of 5th Khelo India Winter Games at Gulmarg today.
The Lieutenant Governor welcomed and conveyed his best wishes to athletes and team officials from all over the country participating in different winter-sports disciplines.
“Khelo India Winter Games symbolizes the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. The world-famous winter tourism destination Gulmarg has been developed as a winter sports city. I welcome you all.
A real champion is made not by victory or defeat but by passion, enthusiasm, courage and sportsmanship. This is your opportunity to show the world the skills and unique abilities you have acquired after years of hard-work and inspire the young generation.
Let us strengthen our bond as a family by imbibing the values of sportsmanship, brotherhood, and promote peace, unity and harmony,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, J&K Sports Department, Sports Council and all stakeholders for promoting robust sports culture, and developing start-of-the-art sports infrastructure and allied facilities, along with global standard coaching, in the UT of Jammu Kashmir.
“I am proud of what we have achieved in the last 4 and a half years. Today, the UT of Jammu Kashmir has become a home to the national and international level sporting events. International cricket has returned to the Kashmir Valley after three decades. The success of previous editions of Khelo India Winter Games, inspirational success stories of our sportspersons in various sports disciplines reflects our Sporting Power,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor also spoke on the key initiatives taken by the government to promote sports in Jammu Kashmir.
Around 4500 players are being trained in 92 Khelo India Centers in different parts of Jammu Kashmir. Last year 15,000 players from Jammu Kashmir participated at the national and zonal level. Water Sports Academy and Fencing Academy have been established at Nehru Park, Srinagar and MA Stadium, Jammu, respectively.
We are soon going to complete the construction of the prestigious Khel Gaon in Nagrota and high-performance training centres are being developed across the districts in J&K in a phased manner to enhance the training and performance of the athletes, he further said.
Mehrajuddin Khan (J&K), Rajeshwar Singh (Army), Yogesh Kumar (Himachal Pradesh), Menka Gunjiyal (Uttarakhand), Bhawani Thekkada (Karnataka) and Sunny Singh (Army) were emerged as winners in today’s Snowboarding Slalom (Men), Ski Mountaineering Sprint (Men), Alpine Skiing Slalom, Ski Mountaineering Sprint (Women) and Nordic Ski events.
Shri Satish Sharma, Minister for Youth Services & Sports; Shri Farooq Ahmed Shah, Member of Legislative Assembly from Gulmarg; Shri Nazir Ahmad, Member of Legislative Assembly from Gurez; Shri Minga Sherpa, Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla; Shri Mayank Srivastav, DDG, Sports Authority of India; Ms Nuzhat Gul, Secretary, J&K Sports Council, senior officials, representatives of Sports Authority of India and various sports organizations, prominent sports personalities and sports enthusiasts in large numbers were present.