LG Manoj Sinha spotlights J&K's hockey rise powered by infrastructure boost

Jammu and Kashmir's Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, during his address at the closing ceremony of the ALFA Hockey Inter-School Tournament 2026, reflected the union territory's growing influence in sports. Hosted by the Synthetic Hockey Astroturf Polo Ground, Srinagar, the inter-school tournament witnessed participation from 32 schools from several districts.

Appreciating the winners and participants, LG Sinha applauded the young athletes for their exceptional display of talent. He also expressed gratitude to the J&K Sports Council, Badal Hockey Club, and Hockey Jammu & Kashmir for their efforts in bringing this tournament to life.

Highlighting the growing influence of hockey in Jammu and Kashmir, Sinha added that the investments in sports infrastructure, grassroots competitions, and increased community participation have paved the way for the increased popularity of the sport across the region.

In recent years, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed the opening up of synthetic hockey turfs at Polo View, Srinagar, Pulwama, and Poonch, creating opportunities for aspiring players from cities, border districts, and remote villages.

Mentioning the increasing sports infrastructure development in the region, LG Sinha further added, "State-of-the-art synthetic hockey turfs are currently under construction at BandhuRakh and K.K. Hakku Stadium in Jammu." According to him, these projects will provide a boost to advanced training, specialized coaching camps, and rigorous talent identification programs, creating a supportive environment for future athletes.

Sportscape views the conduct of competitive tournaments like the ALFA HOCKEY Inter-School Tournament-2026 as creating opportunities for youngsters in Jammu and Kashmir to take up sports. The government’s increased efforts towards improving sports infrastructure can be perceived as great steps towards the establishment of a robust sports ecosystem in the region.