Huge development! Kashmir's once-terrorized Pulwama to get its first astroturf hockey stadium

Pulwama, Sept 24: In a huge development, Kashmir's once-terrorized Pulwama district will be now getting an astroturf hockey stadium of international standards. The stadium, worth Rs 50 million, is all ready to open for hockey enthusiasts. The Kashmiri government seeks to encourage the spirit of hockey and generate passion for the sport among the talented youth of Kashmir, especially those hailing from the Pulwama area.

 

 

According to the reports, this hockey stadium is the first of its kind in the Kashmir valley. The stadium is built at the Government Boys Higher Secondary School Pulwama under the Augmentation of Sports Infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha laid the foundation stone for the Hockey Astro Turf Stadium after his first visit to Pulwama in September 2020.

 

"This work has been going on for the last one year, this will be Kashmir's first International Hockey stadium. This stadium is 102 by 60 metres, the work is still on and we will start with national tournaments and later international games too. Within days it will be completed now. Around Rs 50 million has been spent on this stadium. The turf is incomplete but children are so eager to play on this field. Pulwama youth has always shown more interest in hockey, but kids wanted a place to learn. When international hockey players come to play here, it will motivate our young generation to pick up this sport. and our youth are very talented but they just didn't have facilities. and I am sure our children will play internationally soon," said Syed Javed Iqbal, Lecturer, Physical Education to WION.

 

 

"We are all extremely happy and a lot of children come to us asking us when this will be completed so that they can play. They are so eager to play on this ground and we have told them it's a matter of days now. Our children are talented, Pulwama has a lot of talent and now we have this turf and I am sure we will do great in hockey as well," said Imtiaz Ahmad Pandit, a physical education teacher of Boys Higher Secondary Pulwama, where the stadium has been built. However, this isn't any ordinary stadium but rather quite the fancy one that can also be used to host international matches.

 

 

With this huge development in the Kashmir Valley, it will be new sunrise for hockey lovers in Kashmir. A great future lies ahead as it gets itself on the international hockey map - and what better location than this one to play hockey in, it cannot get more scenic than this!