Popular sports in Jammu and Kashmir include cricket, football and winter sports along with sports like golf, water sports, Ice stock sport and adventure sports. The National Winter Games have been held in Gulmarg in 1996, 2004 and 2009. [1] The first Khelo India Winter Games were held in February and March 2020 in Leh and Gulmarg. [2] [3] Jammu and Kashmir won the most gold medals (26 gold, 29 silver, 21 bronze) while the Indian Army team came second with 8 gold medals. [4] The second edition of the winter games were also held successfully in Gulmarg in 2020 with Jammu and Kashmir coming first and Karnataka second. [5]
Jammu and Kashmir has produced numerous international and national level players including Gul Dev, the first Kashmiri Olympian, numerous Indian Premier League cricketers such as Abdul Samad and Mithun Manhas, icestockers such as Aadil Manzoor Peer, Mohammad Sarfaraz and Faheem Masood Shah, sharp shooter Chain Singh and footballer Mehrajuddin Wadoo among others.
In 1883, in the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, hunting was still a sport though restrictions on what could be killed and where game could be hunted had started to take force. In A. E. Ward's Sportsman's Guide to Kashmir and Ladak, Ward writes, "in Kashmir there exist two or three hundred men who call themselves shikaris, but there are not two dozen who are worthy of the name. In no other part of India have I come across such an arrant collection of impostors." Game included markhor, ibex, ther, serow, goral, burhel, deer, antelope, yak, wolf, sambhur and others. [6] By the time Ward came out with the fourth edition of his book in 1896 he notes that there is "but little sport to be got in the whole of the Kashmir dominions". [6] By 1942 the Jammu and Kashmir Game Preservation Action came into force which outlined the conditions under which game could be killed. [7]
Against the background of the Kashmir conflict and tension in the state, government initiatives in the sports sector are promoted specifically trying to draw the youth away from the conflict. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] The Indian Army also conducts sporting activities for the youth in the region through various welfare initiatives such as Operation Sadbhavana. [13] Lack of infrastructure, [14] politicization, lack of support [15] are other issues hampering growth of the sports in the region.
Abid Hussain, a sports journalist in Kashmir and founder of the monthly sports magazine Kashmir Sports Watch, in a 2020 interview with Mumbai Mirror said that sports tournaments in Kashmir are organised by both the army and police, as well as mainstream political parties, even the Hurriyat, and once a player takes part in one of these tournaments, the players along with their families are labelled "pro-India" or "pro-Pakistan" accordingly. Even if a sportsperson plays for India they face stigmatization from separatists. [16]
On 24 September 2020, the one-year anniversary of the Fit India Movement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi digitally interacted with sportspersons across the country, including Afshan Asiq. Afshan is the captain of Kashmir Valley's first Jammu and Kashmir women's state football team. In 2017, she had been photographed stone pelting, which had appeared in headlines across the country. [17] [18]
International, national and state level notable players from the region.
Cricket is the second most popular sport in Jammu and Kashmir after football. Recently Ifran Pathan was made the mentor and coach of the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team. [21] The team participates in the events such as the Ranjhi Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. Popular players to have come from the region include Parvez Rasool, Abdul Samad, Mithun Manhas, Rasikh Salam and Manzoor Dar [22] who have played T20 IPL matches for team such as Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab. Other cricketers from Jammu and Kashmir [23] include Jasia Akhtar who was the first women from Jammu and Kashmir to be selected for the India women's national cricket team [24] and Amir Hussain Lone who is the captain of Jammu and Kashmir's para cricket team. [25]
Since 2019, the police also have their own T20 cricket tournament. [26]
As of 2020, Abdul Samad became the cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir with the most number of IPL matches. Parvez Rasool comes in second with 11 matches in the IPL. [27]
There is criticism related to excessive politicization and lack of professionalism and support in development of the sport in the region. [28] [15]
Football, is also popular sport in Jammu and Kashmir, first came to Jammu and Kashmir in 1891-92 by Tyndale Biscoe. [29] [30] The first time a football team from the region participated in the Santosh Trophy was in 1964. [29] There are around 500 football clubs in the region. [31]
Teams from Jammu and Kashmir which play in the I-League are Real Kashmir F.C. (division one) and Lonestar Kashmir F.C. (division two). [32] [33] Mehrajuddin Wadoo from Srinagar has represented the India national football team and also plays in the Indian Super League. [34]
Jammu and Kashmir has produced nineteen international players [35] (from the school level to the senior team) such as Abdul Majeed Kakroo. Players from the region have been part of top football teams in India such as Mohun Bagan A.C. and East Bengal F.C. (such as Ishfaq Ahmed). [36] Basit Ahmed and Mohammed Renbar were chosen to play football with Sociedad Deportiva Lenense Proinastur (SD Lenense), a third division Spanish team, part of a public outreach program of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and J&K Football Association. [37] [38] Other initiatives such as a football team for every village in the Kashmir Valley has also been initiated by the government in 2017. [30]
Night football, with "high-voltage floodlights" set up by the locals themselves, is well contested and attended despite various difficulties. [39]
Basketball is a sport which does not attract much attention in India but the condition is even worse in Jammu and Kashmir where political turmoil often undermines the potential of the players. Basketball was on the verge of a decline in 2015, but with the aid of a few administrators, the sport got a new lifeline in Jammu and Kashmir. Having created a strong base the state is trying to capitalise on the foundations to popularise basketball in Jammu and Kashmir. [40]
Snow rugby was introduced in Srinagar in 2004 and by 2018 around 3000 girls in the region participate in the sport. [41] [42]
Marathons that have been conducted in the region include the Ladakh Marathon, the Great Tibetan Marathon and the Kashmir International Half Marathon. The Ladakh Marathon is recognised by Association of International Marathons and Distance Races and is one of the highest marathon in the world. [43] [44]
Jammu and Kashmir, with its hilly terrain and swift flowing rivers, offers opportunities for water skiing, paragliding and mountaineering. [45] [46] [47]
Tsewang Paljor and Tsewang Samanla [48] from Leh was part India's first team to reach the summit of Mount Everest (from the North Col side). Sonam Wangyal, also from Leh, climbed Mount Everest when he was 23, making him the youngest person to do so at the time. [49]
Jammu and Kashmir has opportunities for heliskiing, ice skating, ice hockey, snow autocross [50] and snowboarding. [47] [46] National level winter sporting events that have taken place in Gulmarg include the alpine ski championship and the snowboarding championship. [51]
Icestocksport, also known as ice stock or Eisstockschießen, is a winter sport , in which participants slide a heavy disc, called a stock, across the ice either towards a target or for distance. Originally popular in Germany and Austria, ice stock has found a growing presence in Jammu & Kashmir due to its ideal winter conditions, particularly in regions like Gulmarg and Pahalgam, which are already known for their winter sports offerings.
One of the prominent figures advocating for winter sports in Jammu & Kashmir, including ice stock, is Aadil Manzoor Peer, a renowned international ice stock top player from Halmatpora Kupwara. Aadil has been instrumental in promoting sports among the youth of the region, not only through his achievements in ice stock but also by encouraging underprivileged athletes to explore and engage in diverse sports disciplines. His efforts have significantly contributed to the rising interest in ice stock and other winter sports in the region.
With the support of local sports authorities and individuals like Aadil Manzoor Peer, Jammu & Kashmir is developing into a hub for winter sports, positioning itself to attract national and international attention as a prime destination for winter tourism and competitive sports events.
The National Winter Games were held in Gulmarg in 1996, 2004, 2008. [1] The second leg of the first Khelo India Winter Games were held between 7 and 11 March 2020 in Gulmarg. [2] [3] Jammu and Kashmir won the most gold medals (26 gold, 29 silver, 21 bronze) while the Indian Army team came second with 8 gold medals. [4] Sports included alpine skiing, nordic skiing, snow baseball, ice hockey and snowshoeing. [4] 900 athletes from 20 states took part. [3] The second winter games were successfully held in Gulmarg between 26 February–2 March 2020. [52]
Snowshoe run was held in Srinagar as a part of winter sports to uplift the winter sports in kashmir. This sport is usually played in Europe and was introduced in Kashmir for the first time. [53]
Jammu and Kashmir has 19 stadiums, 23 training centers, three indoor sports complexes and 43 government maintained playing fields. [54] This includes Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, TRC turf ground, Bakshi Stadium, Amar Singh Club Ground, Gandhi Memorial Science College Ground and the Maulana Azad Stadium.
Srinagar District also has two golf courses - Kashmir Golf Club and Royal Spring Golf Course. [55]
Institutions such as the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports provides mountaineering, skiing and adventure courses. [56]
The TRC ground is Jammu and Kashmir's first football stadium. It has imported synthetic football turf. The synthetic turf for the stadium has been imported from Italy. The stadium has a capacity for 15000 spectators. The field is of international standard size. [57] [58] [59]
Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium is a cricket stadium located in Srinagar. It is home to the JKCA and Jammu and Kashmir cricket team which represents the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy and other domestic tournaments in the country. National Cricket Academy is currently constructing an indoor complex at the stadium.
A new sports facility is under construction in south Kashmir’s Bijbhera. It is expected to be complete by 2021. Facilities include an "indoor stadium, a cricket ground of international standards, a football ground, hockey stadium, skating rink, cycle track, modular synthetic basketball court, volleyball and badminton courts." [60] On 12 September 2020, the e-foundation stone of the 'Shri Arun Jaitley Memorial Sports Complex' was laid. [61] [62] On 19 September 2020, Suresh Raina, after meeting with the Lieutenant Governor, decided to set up cricket training academies in both Kashmir division and Jammu division. [63]
Set up in 1959, the Jammu & Kashmir State Sports Council objectives include promoting sports activities in the State among the student and non-student youth, creating and developing sports infrastructure in various parts of the State and providing financial assistance and grants. The Organisation is headed by the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and the Sports Minister as its President and Vice-President respectively. The Sports Council functions at State, Divisional and District level. [64]
The government of Jammu and Kashmir has introduced various awards to inspire not only the sports people, but also coaches and sports associations. Following are some of these awards:
There are over 40 official registered sports associations in the region such the J&K Cricket Association and the J&K Football Association. Other associations under the sports council include the J&K Yoga Association, J&K Cycling Association and the J&K Billiard and Snooker Association. Associations have also been set up for the deaf as well for veterans. [66] [67]
Kashmir has its own dedicated monthly sports magazine "Kashmir Sports Watch". The first issue came out in April 2015 and has a subscription of nearly 12,000 copies per month. [16]
Under the Rehab-e-Khel scheme, national and international level sports medalists hired as full-time instructors in government schools of Jammu and Kashmir earn only ₹3,000 a month as reported by Hindustan Times . [68]
Srinagar is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the largest city and summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an Indian-administered union territory. It lies in the Kashmir Valley along the banks of the Jhelum River, and the shores of Dal Lake and Anchar Lakes, between the Hari Parbat and Shankaracharya hills. The city is known for its natural environment, various gardens, waterfronts and houseboats. It is also known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts like the Kashmir shawl, papier-mâché, wood carving, carpet weaving, and jewel making, as well as for dried fruits. It is the second-largest metropolitan area in the Himalayas.
The Srinagar District is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is one of the 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Situated in the centre of the Kashmir Valley, it is the second-most populous district of the union territory after Jammu District as per the 2011 national census, and is home to the summer capital city of Srinagar. Likewise, the city of Srinagar also serves as the Srinagar District's headquarters.
Gulmarg, known as Gulmarag in Kashmiri, is a town, hill station, tourist destination, skiing destination, and a notified area committee in north Kashmir’sBaramulla district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located at a distance of 31 km (19 mi) from Baramulla and 49 km (30 mi) from Srinagar. The town is situated in the India’s well known Pir Panjal Range in the Western Himalayas and lies within the boundaries of Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Jammu and Kashmir cricket team is a cricket team based in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, run by JKCA. It is in the Elite Group C of the Ranji Trophy. Its main home ground is the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar, and it also plays at Gandhi Memorial Science College Ground in Jammu.
Jammu and Kashmir is home to several valleys such as the Kashmir Valley, Chenab Valley, Sindh Valley and Lidder Valley. Some major tourist attractions in Jammu and Kashmir are Srinagar, with its renowned Dal Lake and Mughal Gardens, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Bhaderwah, Patnitop and Jammu. Every year, thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit holy shrines of Vaishno Devi and Amarnath which has had a significant impact on the state's economy.
Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) is an organisation that governs and manages cricket in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It fields the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team in the Ranji Trophy domestic tournament. It is a member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Ice hockey is a sport that is gaining popularity in India. Ice hockey is played mostly in places like Ladakh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in the north of India, where cold weather occurs and the game can be played outdoors. Ice hockey enthusiasts from other places in the country, as well as expatriates from abroad, head to places like Ladakh for the experience of playing in some of the highest elevated rinks in the world. There are a few artificial indoor ice skating rinks in the rest of the country, such as the Doon Ice Rink in Dehradun, which can accommodate ice hockey with an international-sized rink.
Yusmarg or Yousmarg is a hill station in the western part of the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is situated 53 km (33 mi) south of Srinagar, the summer capital of the state. Yousmarg provides space for beautiful landscapes, young pine nurseries, green pastures and heart touching lotic and lentic water bodies. Nilnag, Doodhganga and a nascently created artificial dam adds more to the beauty of the meadows. Nature has bestowed Yusmarg with pleasant flora and fauna. Yusmarg is often referred to as a trekkers paradise.Yusmarg has some modest stay options but some new homestays have come up around the area.Tribe homestay and cafè located at the nearest village Nagbal is gaining popularity especially among the youth. The place is rustic, wooden and reflects the Kashmiri architectural heritage. Among fauna, locals claim that they often sight wolves, bears, apes, cats, aves of various types. Among aquatic fauna, schizothoraxic is abundant one in catch.
Lonestar Kashmir Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Founded in 2013, the club previously competed in I-League 2nd Division, and currently participates in JKFA Professional League, the fifth tier in the Indian football league system.
Kashmiri cinema is the Kashmiri language-based film industry in the Kashmir Valley of the India,- administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The first Kashmiri feature film, Mainz Raat, was released in 1964. In 2023, Welcome to Kashmir, directed by Tariq Bhat, became the first Kashmiri-produced Bollywood film to release in Kashmiri cinemas.
Kashmir International Half Marathon, organized by Big FM, saw more than 30,000 people from India and other countries participate in the event which was held in Srinagar on 13 September 2015.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Jammu and Kashmir:
Stone pelting in Kashmir refers to stone throwing by Kashmiris on the Indian forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police deployed for crowd control in Jammu and Kashmir to support the separatists, insurgents. In the local language, it is termed as "Kanni Jung", which means fighting with stones and the stone pelters are called as Sangbaaz or Pathraw Player. However, in the recent past the number of stone pelting has dropped significantly.
Media in Jammu and Kashmir comprises a diverse landscape of print, electronic and digital media outlets. The region is served by a variety of newspapers, television channels, radio stations, and online news platforms, reflecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of the area.
Jammu and Kashmir is a region administered by India as a union territory and consists of the southern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and between India and China since 1959. The Line of Control separates Jammu and Kashmir from the Pakistani-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the west and north. It lies to the north of the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and to the west of Ladakh which is administered by India as a union territory.
Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) are the national level multidisciplinary grassroot winter games of India. Events include skiing, alpine skiing, nordic skiing, snow rugby, Ice stock sport, snow baseball, mountaineering, snowshoe running, ice hockey, figure skating and speed skating. It was decided to hold the first Khelo India Winter Games in 2020 after the success of multiple editions of the Khelo India Youth Games.
Aadil Manzoor Peer, popularly known as Syed Aadi, is an Indian international ice stock sport athlete. Known for his right-hand playing style, Aadi has represented India in various international competitions.
The Kashmir Premier League (KPL) is a Twenty20 cricket league in Jammu and Kashmir The league was started in 2011 by the Indian Army and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. The Army sponsors the teams, and provides cricket kits and refreshments. The purpose of the Kashmir Premier League is to build bridges between Kashmiris and Indian Army men. The league is the brainchild of Group Officer Commanding (GOC) of XV Corps, Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain. The T20 cricket tournament is part of the Indian Army's Operation Sadhbhavana.
Tajamul Islam is an Indian kickboxer and coach from the Bandipora district in Jammu and Kashmir.
Icestock is a sport that has become popular in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in India that have a cold climate and is being taken up in the rest of the country as well.