Despite playing spoilsport rain serves as blessing: Sarmad Hafeez

Jubilant UP U-17 Volleyball team players posing along with Sarmad Hafeez, Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman, other dignitaries and officials in Jammu on Friday. -Excelsior/Rakesh
Jubilant UP U-17 Volleyball team players posing along with Sarmad Hafeez, Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman, other dignitaries and officials in Jammu on Friday. -Excelsior/Rakesh

UP lifts 65th NSG U-17 Boys Volleyball title
*Skiing Championship at Gulmarg soon: DG Sports

Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 13: Defeating formidable Haryana in straight sets (3-0) in the summit clash, strong Uttar Pradesh lifted the title trophy of the prestigious 65th School National Games Under-17 Boys Volleyball tournament, organized by the Directorate of Youth Services & Sports, under the aegis of school Games Federation of India (SGFI) at new Indoor Sports Complex, MA Stadium, here.
UP defeated the rivals by (25-23, 25-17, 25-21).
Gujarat bagged the third place by defeating Uttarakhand in a close contest by (3-2), while hosts Jammu and Kashmir lost to Haryana in the quarterfinals and stood on 7th spot in this mega event, which witnessed the participation of 34 teams.
Earlier, in the semifinals, Uttar Pradesh defeated Gujarat by 3-1 (18-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-17), while Haryana got the better of Uttarakhand 3-2 (22-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-21, 15-10) in another semifinal.
Anshu of Uttar Pradesh was declared man of the tournament for his splendid performance.
Secretary, Youth Services and Sports, Sarmad Hafeez was the chief guest on the valedictory function, while Director General Youth Services and Sports, Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman was the guest of honour.
Both the dignitaries distributed prizes among the winners and runners-up teams.
Speaking on the occasion, Sarmad Hafeez was all praise for the rain Gods as the rains forced the organisers to shift the venue from outdoors at picturesque Khel Gaon to indoors at beautiful new Sports Complex, MA Stadium, here, adding that the shifting of venue created history, because it was for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir that a Volleyball Championship was held indoors in a newly developed facility.
He said recently a National Level Table Tennis Championship was held at this standard multiple sports facility and will be followed by a series of events.
Mr Sarmad further said that the sporting extravaganzas like this, apart from promoting sports and games, also promote tourism, besides helping youth to exchange culture with their counterparts from the other States/UTs.
“Sportspersons are the messengers of peace and harmony and the mega events like this apart from infusing spirit and inculcating discipline, helps them to develop friendship bonds with the youth of other States,” Sarmad said.
Mr Sarmad along with Director General Sports, Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman, while announcing that a mega skiing event will be held at Gulmarg soon in the next week, said that the Administration of J&K Union Territory is committed to promote sports and games in every nook and corner of Union Territory, besides raising sports infrastructure at all levels.
Earlier, Secretary J&K Sports Council, Naseem Javaid Choudhary also visited the venue and witnessed the final match of the Championship.
Prominent among others present on the occasion were Joint Directors YS & Sports (K), Bashir Ahmed, Joint Director (J), Madan Lal and Director Sports SMVDSB, Ashok Kumar, who was also the coordinator of the games from SGFI.
The five-day long National School Games (Under-17) in the discipline of Volleyball boys begun at ‘Khel Gaon’ at Nagrota on December 9 and was inaugurated by Advisor to J&K LG, Farooq Khan.
More than 500 spikers participated in the Championship.
The Championship was held under the overall supervision of DG Sports, Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman.

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