NAGROTA, Aug 25: The Directorate of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS) J&K has launched dedicated Fencing and Badminton Academies at KhelGaon, Nagrota, marking a significant step towards strengthening sports infrastructure and nurturing grassroots sporting talent in the Union Territory.
The initiative has been launched under the leadership of Director General, Youth Services and Sports, J&K, Anuradha Gupta, with the objective of providing young athletes with professional coaching, modern facilities and structured opportunities to develop their sporting skills.
More than 250 aspiring student-athletes participated in the inaugural selection trials conducted for the two disciplines. The enthusiastic participation reflected the growing interest among young athletes in fencing and badminton.
The newly established academies feature dedicated indoor Badminton and Fencing arenas equipped with modern facilities to support systematic training and competitive preparation.
DYSSO Jammu, Sukhdev Raj Sharma, was present during the selection trials and supervised the proceedings. He also issued directions to the selection committee to ensure a fair, transparent and rigorous screening process for identifying promising talent.
The Directorate has also deputed qualified and experienced coaches to train the selected student-athletes. In addition to direct coaching, the technical staff will conduct “train-the-trainer” programmes aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of local coaches.
The establishment of the academies marks an important step towards creating a stronger sports ecosystem in Jammu & Kashmir. The initiative is expected to provide young athletes with better training opportunities and help prepare them to compete successfully at national and international levels.