Srinagar: The inaugural Kashmir Champions Football League (KCFL), organised by the J&K Sports Council, concluded with Baramulla Strikers emerging champions, marking the culmination of a first-of-its-kind grassroots football initiative in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to an official statement, the league featured district-level scouting across all 10 districts of the Kashmir division, providing hundreds of footballers an opportunity to earn selection on merit before competing in a professionally organised tournament at the TRC Turf Football Stadium in Srinagar.
The tournament drew large crowds throughout its duration, with spectators from across age groups attending the matches.
The government said the initiative was aimed at promoting grassroots football, encouraging youth participation in sports and providing structured sporting opportunities to channel young people’s energies towards constructive activities.
The league also sought to strengthen district-level football by creating district teams through an organised scouting process before bringing them together in a competitive league format.
According to the statement, the model of forming district teams through talent identification and staging a professionally organised inter-district football league is the first such initiative undertaken by a state or Union Territory government in the country.
