Trials to select J-K youth for the National Soft Tennis Championship held in Srinagar

The Jammu and Kashmir Amateur Soft Tennis Association in collaboration with the J&K State Sports Council has organised trials to select youth for the National Soft Tennis Championship to be held in Srinagar in March. The aim is to engage more and more youth of Jammu and Kashmir to take up sports and promote the sport of Soft Tennis in the Kashmir valley.

Soft tennis is similar to lawn tennis, but the ball is soft, unlike lawn tennis where the ball is hard. The rules are the same for both games. The trials are being conducted at Multi-Sports Activity Centre, Gindun Stadium in Srinagar's Rajbagh under the guidance of professional coaches.

Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar, Manager, Gindun Stadium, Srinagar told ANI, "Soft Tennis has started 2-3 days back and trials are underway. This is being conducted by Jammu and Kashmir Soft Tennis Association in collaboration with J&K State Sports Council. The national-level championship is scheduled to take place in March and the best part is it will take place here in Kashmir for which trials are being conducted continuously for three days now. Those boys who will score top positions shall be selected for the national. Children as young as 12 and 13 years of age are participating in the trials happening for the first time. The Soft Tennis Association has this time brought children from the grassroots level." A player who had come to participate in the trials said that different players from various districts of Jammu and Kashmir have come to participate. Many have come from faraway districts just to see how this sport is played so that they can participate in the next championship. Not many know about this interesting sport.

She said this sport is new in Kashmir and holding this championship is a good effort towards the promotion and awareness of this sport in the valley. Another player told ANI that with these trials, more youngsters will take an interest in the sport and the chances of playing at the national level and winning medals will also increase.

"This is a good step by the administration. This is giving the youth of Jammu and Kashmir an opportunity to learn and play this sport and represent Kashmir at the national level. This will also give a platform to the sportspersons in the valley to show their skills and pursue a career in the sport. Although the competition is tough, the atmosphere here is positive with so many talented players coming to participate in the trials under the supervision of experienced coaches," said Arif Farooq, another player. (ANI)

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