Khelo India Youth Games: Jammu and Kashmir stun defending Champions in Volleyball despite glaring lack of Infrastructure

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Jammu and Kashmir not often associated highly in the landscape of Indian sports sectors. But in the Khelo India Youth Games 2023, the J&K Volleyball team has secured a major scalp.

The J&K Volleyball team defeated defending champions Haryana in their final group stage match on Sunday (January 28).

The win wasn't enough for Jammu and Kashmir to advance to the knock-out stage despite being locked on points with Haryana and Rajasthan with one victory each due to inferior set scores. But the fighting spirit they showed in a group that also consisted of hosts Tamil Nadu, would do them a world of good to their confidence.

"This Khelo India Youth Games was a very good platform for us where our players got more exposure and were able to play in such good infrastructure, which is absent in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The performance here will definitely boost our confidence and I can ensure that if we get good facilities and hostels for players in Jammu, they will definitely win medals for us in the future," said Naresh Kumar, the head coach of the Jammu and Kashmir volleyball team.

Jammu and Kashmir hasn't thrived in sports for lack of infrastructure. There are no such indoor facilities and weather conditions make it impossible for them to train for more than six months in a year. Despite those adverse conditions, the performance of their team was quite commendable in the Youth Games.

Most of the players are also forced to practice individually rather than as a team as the only place they can train together in Jammu does not have sports hostel facilities. Each player shoulders the expenses of travel and equipment, showcasing their unwavering dedication despite hailing from humble backgrounds. These constraints also affect the girls' team which hasn't been able to qualify for the Khelo India Youth Games yet.

The J&K team captain Shadab Shameem said, "It takes more than a day to reach Jammu for most players, and there are no facilities to stay, which is a sad part. So, we only gather two weeks before the competition under our coach. Otherwise, we practice alone in our locality with limited facilities. Also, in the winter, we don't have any chance to practice, affecting our form and mental health.

"We approached the game against Haryana with a winning mindset, because we need to mark our name in this Khelo India Youth Games with at least a win and we did it," he added.

(With Inputs from Agency)