Imtiaz Ahmed Mughal
Games and Sports are an important and essential part of a person’s life. Along with the mental development of every person, physical development also needs to be taken into consideration. Sports is an important part of a student’s life as well.
Sports gives us a good exercise which makes us physically strong and increases our stamina and strength. Regular Sports activities make us active and lead to good Health. Playing Games makes us aware of our environment i.e. Makes us mentally awake and increases our concentration power.
In this context, Kashmir Premier League (KPL) will be crucial and game changer for the people of AJK. It is not just another T20 league to add to the cricket calendar, instead it is committed to lead the game and its schedule will enable the audience to witness the thrilling matches at one of most beautiful cricket stadiums in the world- the Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium.
The President of Kashmir Premier League Mr. Arif Malik and CEO Ch. Shahzad Akhtar has great commitment and resolve to promote cricket in AJK. They have announced the new dates for tournament. The league will take place from 4th August to 14th August of 2021. All of the matches will be played in Muzaffarabad where a new cricket stadium will be inaugurated.
The league will endeavour a ray of hope for the people of Kashmir and will help promote peace and economic prosperity in the region. The teams of KPL will include Kashmiri cricketers from grassroots level and showcase their talent to the entire nation and also build a positive image of Kashmir.
KPL is not only providing the young Cricketing talent of Jammu & Kashmir with a platform through which they can showcase their skills to the world but it will also equip Muzaffarabad stadium with LED stadium lights, the first of its kind in Pakistan. The organisers of league are preparing the stadium for the first edition of the tournament.
This league is an initiative to promote the “Kashmir “globally through cricket diplomacy. KPL will also manifest the alluring geography and culture of AJK and proliferation of sports in AJK, providing the world a new paradigm of the region. It will assist in raising the community spirit among the people of Azad Jammu & Kashmir. Besides this, KPL is also providing global recognition to the culture of the region and the natural magnificent landscapes in addition to proliferating of sports in the region. It will promote tourism in the region and encourage international & national stakeholders to invest in the region. It will provide entertainment for the people of Kashmiri, to enhance cricketing skills and passion of emerging players, and to significantly highlight the soft image of Kashmir regarding their peaceful struggle of self-determination.
Like Various Games, cricket also needs good strategies for a better performance and teamwork, so it increases our thinking ability and teaches us the power of teamwork and to find a way out of difficult situations. The management of KPL believes that Games and sports also need a lot of energy i.e. it makes us energetic. Games and Sports needs a lot of cooperation between the players. Hence it increases the cooperation with each other.
The management of KPL believe that Sports also play the important role of imparting character values, according to Sport and Development. Playing sports can help teach honesty, teamwork and fair play. Learning to follow rules and respecting teammates and opponents can also be useful. Experiencing the role of a graceful winner and loser teaches people about being humble, and competition in general can teach individuals about self-respect, confidence and managing stress. Taking on leading roles within your team can also teach leadership. In this context KPL is going to be a milestone to promote people to people connection, unity and forbearance.
No doubt, sports can foster peace and can contribute to an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding. Sport, as a tool for education, development and peace, can promote cooperation, solidarity, tolerance, understanding, social inclusion and health at the local, national and international levels. Its intrinsic values such as teamwork, fairness, discipline, respect for the opponent and the rules of the game are understood all over the world and can be harnessed in the advancement of solidarity, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence.
To conclude, Kashmir Premier League will promote and project the sentiments and soft image of people of Kashmir and Pakistan in the international cricketing community.
The hashtag #KheloAazadiSe portrays the real freedom of the people of the Azad State of Government of Jammu and Kashmir under Pakistan’s administration. It will also be a hope of freedom for the other side of Kashmiris under the illegal occupation of Indian Forces. I hope the comparison of both sides of Kashmir will also be an eye opener for the international community and hence the dream of fostering the peace through sports can be realised in Illegal Indian Occupied Kashmir.
The author is an Editor and Manager Kashmir Affairs at Global Affairs. Being an educationist by profession, he is the CEO of Avicenna Foundation.
