J-K LG inaugurates 6th senior Pencak Silat championship

    Srinagar, Oct 13 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday inaugurated the 6th Senior Asian Pencak Silat Championship here which brings together over 150 athletes from different countries.
     Addressing the gathering, the Lt Governor extended his greetings to the members of sporting fraternity, jury members and welcomed all the guests to enjoy the hospitality and incredible sights of Jammu and Kashmir during the tournament.
     "Over the next five days we will celebrate and honour the individual strength and sporting excellence," the Lt Governor said.
     Sinha said the ongoing sporting events across the Union Territory have kindled hopes and it is a sign of a robust sports culture in the society.
     "In the last two years, we have formulated and implemented strategic sports development plan which is paying us the dividend," he added.
     The Lt Governor said better infrastructure together with experts and outstanding coaches have brought a major shift in training programmes.
     We have also implemented a new sports policy and offering attractive career options for the sportspersons, he added.
     "Our sincere effort is to provide an environment of encouragement and adequate resources so that every talented sportsperson can give spectacular performance in the national and international events. We are committed to take every possible step to develop strong winner's instinct among our sportspersons," the Lt Governor said.
     Sinha said sports is all about unifying spirit of universal harmony and brotherhood.
     "This championship should not be viewed as an event that is only about winning. Participation with the spirit of sportsmanship is important. As a one big united family, celebrate the success of others as much as you celebrate yours," he said.
     Noting that Pencak Silat is relatively new to India and introduced only in 2014, the Lt Governor said within few years, Jammu Kashmir has witnessed an upswing in performance of our athletes in national and international events and they have earned 540 medals in the national events and 17 medals in the International events.
     Last year, more than 1.7 million children and youths participated in various sporting disciplines and this year, the number is expected to go beyond 3.5 million. The overwhelming participation clearly indicates resurgence of sports in the Union Territory of Jammu Kashmir, he added.
     Earlier, the Lt Governor interacted with the members of International teams of Pencak Silat from Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Nepal. PTI SSB CK

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)