Srinagar, May 16: The Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council on Saturday continued its district-wide football talent hunt across the Valley under the 100-day Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir Abhiyan aimed at promoting sports as a tool against drug abuse among youth.
The Kashmir Champions Football League (KCFL) trials, which began in Ganderbal on May 13, were held simultaneously in Bandipora and Shopian on Saturday. The next phase of trials is scheduled in Budgam and Srinagar on Sunday.
At Bandipora, the trials were attended by MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, while large numbers of youth and spectators participated in the event.
Parallel trials at the Synthetic Turf Draggad in Shopian also witnessed enthusiastic participation and support from local spectators.
Officials said selected players from different districts will become part of the full KCFL competitive structure aimed at providing sustained sporting opportunities for youth across Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the Karate Championship-2026 was inaugurated at the Indoor Sports Hall Polo Ground in the presence of Sports Council Secretary Nuzhat Gul. Karate players from different parts of the Valley participated in the event.
The South Kashmir Volleyball League-2026, being organised in association with the Volleyball Association of J&K at Batapora Stadium Shopian, also entered its second day with six teams competing before packed stands.
The Sports Council said the events are part of a broader youth engagement initiative under the anti-drug campaign with the message: “Choose Sports, Not Drugs.”
