Rajesh Dhar
JAMMU, Mar 16: The players and the teams of Jammu Premier League (JPL) are waiting in the wings for exposure tours and advanced camps analogous to their counterparts of Kashmir Premier League (KPL), the winning team of which was sent to the exposure tour to Kolkatta recently and the selected six players were sent to the advanced training camp a few months back.
Sources said that after holding trials of top 30 performers drawn from various Clubs representing different districts in JPL, the best three players were selected on the basis of their performance in the tournament and selection matches, their past record, besides skill and temperament.
The selected three players included Paras Sharma from Jammu, Nihal Khajuria from Kathua and Abid Mushtaq from Doda, sources added.
Sources further said that the young talented cricketers after their fabulous show in the Jammu Premier League T20 Tawi Cup had done remarkably well in the selection trial matches, organized by the Department of Youth Services and Sports at MA Stadium in Jammu.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Jammu Premier League (JPL) and the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) tournaments, organized by Indian Army under Operation Sadhbhavana with a twin purpose of promoting sports and bringing peace and harmony in the State, has become an annual feature from last few years. The League, apart from providing platform to the budding cricketers to hone their skill, also carries prestigious awards and incentives for them.
According to reliable sources, former Minister for Sports RS Chib while flagging off six KPL cricketers from the Valley for the advanced training, had promised to send the JPL cricketers for the same, but the promise is yet to be fulfilled as the Minister is no more at the helm of affairs now.
With Taj Mohi-ud-Din taking over the charge from Mr Chib as Sports Minister, these Jammu based cricketers would be hoping for a better deal.
“We were asked by the concerned authorities to be in readiness for the advanced coaching way back in the month of July, 2012 but so far nothing practical has happened in this regard. We hope for an early exposure tour,” said one of the three selected cricketers while talking to EXCELSIOR.
Indian Army, the organizers of the Tournament in collaboration with Ministry for Youth Services and Sports, needs to take initiatives and manage an early exposure tour of JPL winning team analogous to the tour of Srinagar Shahjahans organised recently and also manage a training camp for the selected JPL players as early as possible. Such an initiative would add colour to this sporting extravaganza.
Otherwise, expecting big success of this prestigious event is to cry for the moon.
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