Gowher Bhat
It begins with a whisper. A boy in Sopore, barefoot, chases a worn-out football across a frost-dusted field. A girl in Anantnag sprints through a misty alley, her breath clouding in the crisp morning air, outrunning the cold. In a quiet corner of Shopian, two siblings take turns swinging a makeshift bat in a rocky meadow, the sharp crack of ball against wood breaking the valley’s stillness. This is where sports in Kashmir take root—not in polished arenas or under floodlights, but in the raw, unadorned spaces where grit and dreams collide.
This story rarely makes the news. It doesn’t dominate headlines or spark heated TV debates. Yet, beneath the weight of conflict and the hush of resilience, Kashmir’s youth are carving out their own narrative through sport. They play in defiance of circumstance, pouring their energy into games that sustain them, games that propel them forward.
They run. They wrestle. They show up—day after day.
A Quiet Surge
Sports in Kashmir have long thrived in the shadows, woven into the fabric of daily life. But something is shifting. Over the past decade, a quiet surge in participation, infrastructure, and ambition has begun to reshape the region’s sporting landscape.
In 2023, the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council recorded over 5.2 lakh youth actively engaged in sports across the Union Territory—a significant leap from the 4.8 lakh reported in 2022. This growth reflects more than numbers; it’s a testament to the determination of a generation refusing to be defined by their challenges. From football to martial arts, cricket to winter sports, nearly half a million young Kashmiris are chasing their aspirations on fields, tracks, and slopes.
The same year saw more than 2,500 sporting events organized across the region, ranging from grassroots tournaments to competitive showcases. New indoor facilities have sprung up in districts like Pulwama, Kupwara, and Bandipora, offering safe havens for athletes to train year-round. In Gulmarg, the National Winter Games of 2024 drew athletes from 19 states to compete on pristine snowfields. Among them was Arif Khan, Kashmir’s alpine skiing prodigy, who represented India at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. “Kashmir’s terrain is a gift,” Khan said in a post-event interview. “With the right support, we can produce world-class winter athletes.”
The region’s potential has caught the attention of policymakers. Former Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur noted in 2023, “Kashmir has the raw material to become a sporting powerhouse—talent, terrain, and tenacity. It’s time we invest in its future.” That investment is slowly taking shape, with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) allocating funds for upgraded facilities and coaching programs.
Heroes of the Valley
Kashmir’s youth are writing their own legends. Parvez Rasool, a cricketer from Bijbehara, broke barriers as the first Kashmiri to play for India’s national team in 2014. His journey from village pitches to international stadiums remains a beacon for aspiring athletes. Similarly, Suhail Ahmad Bhat, a footballer from Srinagar, has risen through the ranks to play for Indian Arrows in the I-League, showcasing the valley’s talent on a national stage.
“They train on grit and dreams,” says Mohammad Yousuf, a veteran coach from Baramulla. “No fancy turfs, no cheering crowds—just sheer will.” Yousuf recalls coaching boys who practiced on uneven gravel, their shoes worn thin, yet their focus unshaken.
Kashmir’s girls are rewriting the narrative too. Sadiya Tariq, a 17-year-old wushu champion from Srinagar, clinched gold at the 2022 Moscow Wushu Stars Championship. Balancing school and rigorous training, she embodies resilience. “I didn’t wait for anyone to tell me I could do it,” she says. “I just did.” Her victory inspired a wave of martial arts camps across Budgam, Anantnag, and Baramulla, with over 1,200 girls participating in 2023 alone. In Ganderbal, women’s cricket is gaining traction, while rugby is emerging as a passion in Kupwara.
Coach Nusrat Jeelani, who mentors young female athletes in South Kashmir, sees sport as a transformative force. “They arrive shy, unsure,” she says. “But the field changes them. They find their voice, their strength.” For these girls, sports are more than competition—they’re a path to empowerment, a way to claim space in a world that often overlooks them.
Persistent Hurdles
The rise of sports in Kashmir is not without obstacles. Infrastructure, while improving, remains uneven. Many stadiums are incomplete, with rusted gates and locked storerooms filled with unused equipment. For every new facility, there are dozens of villages where athletes train without proper gear. A pair of running shoes or a quality football can be a luxury, and travel costs for tournaments often force talented players to stay home.
“We don’t want sympathy,” says Asif, a 19-year-old footballer from Baramulla. “We want opportunities—fields, coaches, chances to compete.” His words echo a common sentiment: Kashmir’s youth are ready, but the system often isn’t.
Access to quality coaching is another bottleneck. While urban centers like Srinagar and Jammu have trained professionals, rural areas rely on underfunded programs or volunteers. This gap leaves many athletes unable to refine their skills, trapping them in a cycle of unrealized potential. Even those who reach national levels struggle with exposure. Financial constraints limit their participation in high-profile events, leaving them dependent on local tournaments with little visibility.
A Unique Strength
Despite these challenges, Kashmir’s athletes possess a rare edge. Shaped by the region’s rugged terrain and turbulent history, they bring a mental toughness that sets them apart. “Kashmiri youth have a fierceness you don’t find in metro cities,” says Shivendra Chauhan, a former national hockey player and coach. “Their focus, their endurance—it’s born from surviving the odds.”
Rakesh Gupta of the Indian Olympic Association agrees, calling Kashmir a “goldmine of untapped talent.” The region’s high-altitude environment, ideal for endurance training, combined with its natural landscapes, makes it a potential hub for sports like athletics, mountaineering, and winter disciplines. Columnist Pradeep Magazine sums it up: “Kashmir has everything—terrain, climate, and a resilient spirit. All it needs is a spark.”
A Future in Motion
In the silence after the final whistle, Kashmir’s sports culture thrives. On dusty fields and snowy slopes, kids play for the love of it. They don’t wait for applause or cameras. They dive, they sprint, they dream. This isn’t a loud revolution—it’s a steady rhythm, pulsing through villages and towns.
The growth of sports in Kashmir is a story of hope, resilience, and unrealized potential. It’s the boy in Sopore, still kicking his tattered ball. It’s the girl in Anantnag, running faster than the doubts that chase her. It’s the siblings in Shopian, swinging their bat toward a future they can’t yet see. With every game, they’re building something bigger than medals—a legacy of perseverance, a promise of what’s possible when talent meets opportunity.
This is Kashmir’s sporting heartbeat: quiet, untelevised, and unstoppable. One sprint, one swing, one goal at a time.
(Note: Gowher Bhat is a published author, freelance journalist, and creative writer with a passion for storytelling. Based in Kashmir, he draws inspiration from the region’s resilience and spirit.)
