Tariq khan cniPoonch, CNI NEWS: The Department of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS), Poonch, today formally declared open the Inter-District UT-Level U-17 Boys Hockey Tournament at the Astro Turf Hockey Ground, BHSS Poonch, under the banner of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.
The tournament was inaugurated by Retd. DYSSO Prem Prakash Luthra, a veteran sportsperson and former sports official, who has remained closely associated with sports and athletics for several decades. Coming from a family with a strong sporting legacy spanning nearly 65 years, Retd. DYSSO Prem Prakash Luthra has made valuable contributions to the promotion and development of sports.While declaring the tournament open, he interacted with the participating players and appreciated the Department of Youth Services and Sports, Poonch, for its continued efforts towards
providing young athletes with quality sporting opportunities and promoting sports at the grassroots level. He particularly appreciated the department’s consistent field-level activities and its efforts to engage youth through sports.The prestigious UT-level hockey tournament is witnessing participation from 12 districts of Jammu & Kashmir, with around 216 young hockey players taking part. The tournament provides a valuable platform for budding hockey players to showcase their talent, compete at the UT level and gain exposure to higher-level sporting opportunities.The Directorate of Youth Services and Sports, Jammu & Kashmir, has also constituted a selection committee for the fair and transparent selection of the UT-level U-17 Boys Hockey team. The selection process is being
conducted on the basis of players’ performance, skills and overall sporting abilities.Alongside the UT-level hockey tournament, the Department of Youth Services and Sports, Poonch, continued its extensive district-wide activities under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. Today, approximately 2,366 youth participated in various sports and awareness activities organised across all zones of District Poonch, spreading the message of a healthy, active and drug-free lifestyle among young people.As part of the Viksit Bharat Young Dialogue, around 521 registrations were recorded today across the district. Various
activities under Sewa Parv were also organised in different zones, witnessing participation of approximately 822 youth.The department’s field-level activities were carried out with the dedicated participation of ZPEOs, Physical Education Lecturers (PELs), Physical Education Masters (PEMs), Physical Education Teachers (PETs), Rehbar-e-Khel (ReK) Physical Teachers, NYCs and Groundmen, who worked with commitment to ensure the smooth conduct of sports, awareness and youth engagement programmes across the district.The Department continues to use sports as an effective medium for promoting discipline, teamwork, physical fitness and positive engagement among youth, while strengthening the message of “Say No to Drugs, Yes to Sports.”All activities were
conducted under the supervision of DYSSO Poonch, Mohd Qasim, with the coordination and guidance of Activity Incharge Vijay Kumar Sharma.The Department of Youth Services and Sports, Poonch, reaffirmed its commitment to providing young athletes with opportunities at the zonal, district, divisional and UT levels, while simultaneously promoting the objectives of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, Viksit Bharat Young Dialogue and Sewa Parv.*Issued by*:*District Press & Publicity Coordinator* (*DPC*)*Department of Youth Services & Sports, Poonch* CNI NEWS