Jammu: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday inaugurated the 22nd All India Vice-Chancellor’s T20 Cricket Tournament 2026 at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-Jammu) campus at Chatha, with 24 university employees’ teams from across the country participating in the 10-day national-level event.
The tournament, being hosted by SKUAST-Jammu from November 13 to 23, features 24 teams, including six from Jammu and Kashmir and 18 from other states.
Addressing the inaugural gathering, Omar said the tournament provided an opportunity for university employees, who often work behind the scenes in academic institutions, to showcase their sporting talent and interact with colleagues from different parts of the country.
He said universities were not built through the contributions of students and faculty alone, but also through the efforts of employees who play an important role in their day-to-day functioning. The tournament, he said, offered such employees a platform to come together beyond their routine professional responsibilities.
Emphasising the importance of sportsmanship, the Chief Minister said the friendships and professional bonds formed during the tournament would be more valuable than winning the trophy. He urged the participating teams to accept both victory and defeat in the right spirit, observing that sporting results were temporary while the memories and relationships developed through such events lasted longer.
Referring to Jammu and Kashmir’s recent sporting achievements, he said changing fortunes were an integral part of competitive sports and cited the region’s Ranji Trophy triumph last year as an example of how opportunities emerged through competition.
Welcoming the participating teams to Jammu, Omar described it as the City of Temples and encouraged the visitors to explore the region’s religious, cultural and historical attractions. He also invited them to visit the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and experience border tourism facilities along the International Border.
The Chief Minister also highlighted Jammu’s hospitality and culinary traditions, particularly Dogra cuisine, and encouraged the visiting teams to experience the region’s food and culture during their stay.
Earlier, Omar conducted the toss between the captains of the host SKUAST-Jammu team and Kavayitri Bahinabai Chaudhari North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon, and interacted with players representing the participating universities.
The inaugural ceremony featured a parade of the participating teams and the lighting of the ceremonial torch. Players carried the torch around the cricket ground before handing it over to the Chief Minister, who lit the main ceremonial torch. A cultural programme presented by the Madras Regiment was also organised as part of the event.
Minister for Agriculture Production, Finance, Mining and Cooperatives Javid Ahmad Dar and Minister for Planning, Development and Monitoring, Culture, Youth Services and Sports, and Administrative Reforms, Inspections and Trainings Mir Saifullah attended the inaugural ceremony.
SKUAST-Jammu Vice-Chancellor Prof. B.N. Tripathi, who presided over the function, said hosting the 22nd edition of the tournament was a matter of pride for the university and Jammu and Kashmir. He said the event provided a national platform for university employees to demonstrate their sporting abilities, promote physical fitness and strengthen professional relationships beyond their academic, research and administrative responsibilities.
Tripathi also acknowledged the efforts of university officers, faculty members, employees, students and the organising committee in organising the tournament.
The event was attended by Director Students Welfare and Nodal Officer of the tournament Dr. Sudhakar Dwivedi, Registrar SKUAST-Jammu Prof. Anil Kumar, besides other dignitaries, university representatives and participating teams.
The tournament, exclusively organised for university employees, will continue until November 23, with teams competing in a series of T20 matches. Apart from promoting sporting activities and inter-university interaction, the event is expected to provide an opportunity for participating teams to experience Jammu and Kashmir’s institutional facilities, hospitality and cultural heritage.
