STATE TIMES NEWS
BHADARWAH: To encourage local youth to train themselves as professional footballers, State Football Academy (SFA) of Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council (J&KSSC) formally opened its unit at Additional District Bhadarwah on Sunday.
The academy, first of its kind in Chenab Valley, was formally opened in a function organised at sports ground of Government Degree College Bhadarwah.
The opening ceremony was presided over by SFA’s Coordinator Bhadarwah Baber Mughal.
Tehsildar Bhadarwah Masood Ahmed was the Chief Guest while SDPO Brijesh Sharma was the Guest of Honour on the occasion.
A total of 60 footballers who joined the first batch of the academy were given kit in presence of State Senior Coach, Satpal Singh.
“We are fortunate enough that SFA chose Bhadarwah to establish its academy for the district Doda at Bhadarwah. This will go a long way not only in grooming the raw talent but will also open the new horizons for the budding talent to play at professional level, “said Baber Mughal, Coordinator SFA Bhadarwah.
“To tap raw talent and to encourage rural youth to choose football as their basic game, we have decided to open 17 academies in as many districts and for District Doda we choose Bhadarwah on merit bases as local football clubs has already carved a name for themselves at regional and State level,” said Satpal Singh, State Senior Coach of SFA, adding that this endeavour of the academy will surely bear fruit for local talented youth.
Tehsildar Bhadarwah Masood Ahmed and SDPO Bhadarwah Brijesh Sharma expressed their gratitude to the SFA for opening academy at Bhadarwah.
State Coach Sanjay Kalotra and Coach Sad Bin Shoket were also present.
