Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday inaugurated the second edition of the Sikh Cricket Premier League (SCPL) at the University of Jammu Cricket Ground, describing youth as the driving force of social harmony, nation-building and transformation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing players and spectators at the inaugural ceremony, the Lieutenant Governor said that when young people are provided with the right opportunities, platforms and mentorship, they do not merely participate but create history.
The Lieutenant Governor said that the Sikh Cricket Premier League is sculpting multifaceted character and in future it will instil discipline, leadership, teamwork, patience, and self-belief in the young generation.
He said that the commendable initiative of the All J&K Sikh Coordination Committee and the Hari Singh Nalwa Cricket Club, Jammu, is a declaration that the new generation advances not as spectators, but as bearers of brotherhood and social harmony.
To foster inclusivity, the All J&K Sikh Coordination Committee has ensured that each team includes youth from other communities.
The Lieutenant Governor spoke to players on training with ferocious discipline and competing with unbreakable unity, on and off the ground.
He emphasised that the true societal wealth and strength reside not in bricks and mortar, but in fresh ideas.
“The energy of our youth is like a river. When guided with purpose, it becomes a source of life and progress.
I am confident in the journey of nation-building, our youth will not stop, not bow, and they will not tire,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor said that vital sporting events like the Sikh Cricket Premier League must cultivate youth who view sports not as a pastime, but as a forge for life’s enduring values.
“When youth align with purposeful missions, they grasp that grand transformations demand grand visions. Entrepreneurship and sports harbour that very alchemy,” he further said.
The Lieutenant Governor highlighted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the sports landscape in Jammu & Kashmir has undergone a historic transformation over the past few years.
Driven by substantial financial assistance under the Prime Minister’s Development Programme (PMDP), the Union Territory has built a world-class foundation for sports excellence, he said.
The Lieutenant Governor stated that the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, during his recent visit to Jammu Kashmir, has assured Rs. 200 crore assistance for sports development in the UT, with the support of BCCI, FIFA and other sports organisations.
S. Ajit Singh, Chairman, All J&K Sikh Coordination Committee; heads of various Sikh organisations, prominent citizens, players, coaches and youth in large numbers attended the inaugural ceremony.
Vikram Randhawa, Member of Legislative Assembly from Bahu; Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP Jammu; Shakti Pathak, Director Anti-Corruption Bureau and other senior officials were also present.
