The Samikhsya Correspondent
SRINAGAR: Union Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs Kiren Rijiju inaugurated Khelo India State Centre of Excellence for Rowing discipline at the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council Water Sports Academy in Srinagar on Saturday.
He was joined by Manoj Sinha, Lt. Governor, J&K, Farooq Khan, Advisor to LG of J&K and Alok Kumar, Secretary, Youth Services, J&K for the ceremony at the Nehru Park in Dal Lake, Srinagar.
Rijiju had announced earlier this year during the Khelo India Winter Games that the Union Sports Ministry would open a state-of-the-art water sports facility in Srinagar. All procedures are now in place and the money has been allocated.
The Union Minister also announced a host of new competitions at the Valley and mentioned that the J&K Council are doing their best to make the Water Sports facility in Srinagar one of the best in the world.
“From this year onwards, we will start a Khelo India Women’s football league here and all kinds of support will be given by the Sports Ministry. In October-November, we will organize a marathon competition as well in Pahalgam,” Rijiju added.
At present, the Khelo India State Centre of Excellence at J&K Sports Council Water Sports Academy in Srinagar will focus in the sports discipline of Rowing. They will be provided a first-time grant of Rs 145.16 lakhs and an annual recurring grant of Rs 96.17 lakhs.
This is one of the two KISCEs from Jammu & Kashmir itself, with the Maulana Azad Stadium for Fencing discipline in Jammu being the other. A consolidated amount of Rs. 5.08 crores have been approved for the two centres in Jammu & Kashmir.
