MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Situated amidst the majestic Himalayas, with breathtaking landscapes, wide-ranging cultural heritage, and strong people, Azad Kashmir is known to all.
While the mountainous region is fabled for the grandeur born of nature and culture, not torridly publicized is the vibrant sport from here.
In this blog, we are going to let you see the world of local sports in Azad Kashmir, from local sports culture to budding young athletes and the myriad challenges they have to go through.
Traditional sport:
Azad Kashmir has a rich tradition of indigenous sports that have been an integral part of the region for centuries. Some of the most popular traditional sports are:
1. Kabaddi:
Kabaddi is a bumbling yet contact-based team sport that originated somewhere in the Indian subcontinent. Kabaddi is one of the most popular games in Azad Kashmir.
The region has produced several players participating in national competitions who have repped teams on the continent or won titles or accolades.
2. Wrestling:
Another traditional sport that manages to gather quite a following in Azad Kashmir is wrestling. Their wrestlers built their reputation upon strength, agility, and technique with many prizes by doing honors; indeed, a good number have won national and international accolades.
3. Archery:
Archery, very poignantly mingled with sports in Azad Kashmir over several centuries, saw its archers representing Pakistan on international platforms, even the Olympic field.
Additionally, modern sports more like different games have found their way into Azad Kashmir. In modern times, the youth of the region proudly embrace cricket, football, and volleyball. With cricket being blessed with worthy players from Azad Kashmir representing the country in various events, none can overshadow the renown of the legendary bowler Wasim Akram from this region.
Problems Facing Local Athletes:
Even though we have sufficient manpower with rich sporting traditions and talented athletes, local sports in Azad Kashmir face various challenges, including:
1. Inadequate Infrastructure:
There is inadequate sporting infrastructure in Azad Kashmir. Sports facilities are in poor condition and need to be restored.
Such inadequacies in infrastructure do curb the talents of local athletes from moving into the mainstream, let alone competing at national and international standards.
2. Inadequate Resources:
Local athletes in Azad Kashmir face practically insurmountable odds as they often find a lack of resources dearth of coaching support, proper training facilities, and sporting equipment.
3. Government Support:
The government has tried to do its best in striving to promote Azad Kashmir sports; nevertheless, much more needs to be done to support the local talent and augment the regional sporting infrastructure.
Conclusions:
The local sports scene in Azad Kashmir is a pool of talent, fervor, and dedication. The area continues to produce talented men and women who have proved their mettle on national and international platforms.
In moving ahead, the organization and provision of adequate resources to local tracks will hold the key to local talents reaching definite levels where they will be able to shine.
This way, Azad Kashmir will bloom into an island with excellent sporting prospects and glory for the people and consumption.
