SRINAGAR, MAY 20: Minister for Youth Services, Sports, IT and Technical Education, Moulvi Imran Raza Ansari, today said the growing participation of youth in sports events shows the Kashmiri youth’s growing interest in sports. He said sports arena offers huge career opportunities.

“What proves this point is the participation of 1800 JK students in National School games this year compared to mere 400 last year,” Ansari said. "This was made possible by the government's tireless efforts to raise funds for sports like no other government did in past," he said.

The Minister was speaking during the closing ceremony of ‘Oorja 2017 Under-19’ football tournament organized by the CAPF in Bakshi Stadium.

“It gives me immense pleasure to be the part of this event,” Ansari said. “I assure the CAPF full support of the Government in general and my department in particular for all the sports activities.”

In a first match played this morning, Kothi Bagh Girls School defeated Delhi Public School; while in another match, SP Boys Higher Secondary School defeated Kashmir FC.

While distributing the awards, the Minister congratulated both winners and participants and said that their active and continued participation in sports would pay rich dividends to them in a long run in terms of fitness, well-being, happiness as also a career in sports.

“I am quite impressed by the discipline and sportsmanship that has been exhibited by the participating teams of this tournament,” Ansari said. “Sports is and has always been important,” he added.

At the end of the event, Ansari said the ‘Oarja’ means strength, “my youth in the State are the strength of Kashmir. The only efforts should be to channelize them towards achieving better and secure future.”

The event was attended by DG Police, S P Vaid, Secretary Youth Services and Sports, Hilal Ahmad Parray, Director Sports and other officials from sports and CAPF.