Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 30: A state-of-the-art Astro Turf Football Ground at Gousia Colony, Azad Gunj in north Kashmir’s Baramulla is nearing completion and is expected to be ready within the next 25 days.
Built at a cost of Rs 6 crore, the facility is set to open new horizons for football in north Kashmir, creating opportunities to host national-level tournaments and nurture local talent.
Sportsman and youth leader Omar Azhar Kakroo expressed delight over the development, noting that the Astro Turf would promote sports tourism and provide young people with a constructive outlet.
“It is a FIFA-approved Astro Turf; we are thankful to the administration as well as the Sports Council. It will increase sports tourism in Baramulla, and the energy of the youth will be channelized in a better way,” he said.
Kakroo added that the facility would be ready well before the onset of winter. “We want it to be completed very soon, and the work is progressing at good speed,” he said.
To mark the inauguration, a football match has been scheduled between two teams from outside J&K. “Sportspersons from across Kashmir will attend, and we are excited for the turf to open,” Kakroo said.
Local youth and sports enthusiasts have also welcomed the project, describing it as a turning point for the district’s sporting culture.
“It’s a dream come true for the youth of Baramulla. I am very thankful to LG Manoj Sinha and Sports Council Secretary Nuzhat Gul for making this possible,” a local youth said.
Echoing similar sentiments, sports enthusiast and General Secretary of the Baramulla Cricket Forum, Zubair Ahad Dar, called the project no less than a dream come true.
“The youth of Baramulla are very happy to see such an Astro Turf being established. I am grateful to the LG administration and the District Administration Baramulla for bringing this world-class facility to our town,” he said.
Launched last year, the project, as per locals, is expected not only to boost football in north Kashmir but also to strengthen youth engagement in sports, channeling their energy into constructive activities and elevating Baramulla’s profile as a budding sports hub.
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