Srinagar, Aug 26: Urging the educational institutions to make sports and physical activities as important part of school curriculum, Member Legislative Council Firdous Tak today said that Jammu and Kashmir has a natural edge over other states of the country in water sports.
The legislator, who is also president of Jammu and Kashmir Water Sports (Kayaking and Canoeing) Association, was addressing students of Kashmir Havard School, Habak, Naseem Bagh Srinagar. The interaction was part of the newly launched awareness programme by the Association to promote various water sports activities in the state. Secretary of the Association Bilquis Mir and Chairman of the School Tariq Ahmed were also present.
Tak said that over the last two years the state government has made a huge change in sports activities and youth are being engaged at various level for overall personality development. He said that the unrest and militancy has left a serious impact on the mindset of the youth and sports was the only way by which a mandatory change can be made.
He said various educational institutions are being involved in order to have water sports activities as part of their physical education syllabus. “We have natural infrastructure available with us and we are the born paddlers, which give us an edge over other states in the country”, he said.
Bilquis Mir shared her experiences with the students and also boosted the students to participate in water sports activities. She said that the government is providing all the required assistance to promote the game across the state and the focous is on to train the youth to represent at national and international level.
Miss Irfaana Yousuf Principal Kashmir Harvard, Mr S Mubashir Event Manager and Mr Nisar Hussein Mentor sports activities informed the Association that around 500 students will be registered for the upcoming training camp. The school, they said, will include water sports activities as ingredient part of the physical education and will create all the necessary infrastructure in the shortest possible time.