SPORTS

A young girl from south Kashmir’s Shopian district has won a bronze medal in the National Winter Biathlon Championship—2025 held in Gulmarg. Saima Jan (24), daughter of Ahmad Sheikh of Chotipora area of Shopian district, won a gold medal in the National Curling Championship last month. Saima said that she has been interested in sports activities since her childhood and used to take part in sports activities at the local level. She won a gold medal in the National Curling Championship last month, followed by a bronze medal in the National Biathlon Championship—2025. Saima emphasized the importance of engaging youth in sports activities to prevent drug use and antisocial behavior. She highlighted that sports provide a positive outlet, build self-esteem, promote healthy habits,...

Kashmiri cyclist Adil Teli has secured a place in the 2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Series, set to take place in Victoria, Australia, from October 16-19. The 26-year-old from Budgam earned his spot after an impressive performance at the Spinneys Dubai Cycling Challenge, competing against over 400 international cyclists, ETV Bharat reported. Teli first gained national recognition in March 2021 when he set the record for the fastest bicycle journey from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, covering 3,600 km in eight days, one hour, and 39 minutes. He also holds a Guinness World Record for the fastest Manali-Leh cycling feat, completing the 475-km route in 29 hours, 18 minutes, and 21 seconds in September 2022—six hours faster than the previous record. In Dubai, Teli showcased his tactical skills and en...

 The 5th edition of the Khelo India Winter Games, originally scheduled for February 22-25 in Gulmarg, Jammu Kashmir, has been postponed due to insufficient snowfall. An official from the Youth Services and Sports Department confirmed that the event will be rescheduled after a fresh assessment of snow conditions. This is the second consecutive year the games have faced rescheduling due to poor snowfall, with the same issue arising last year when a dry January pushed the event to February. The first leg of the games was held in Ladakh from January 23 to 27, featuring ice sports like ice hockey and ice skating The postponement comes amid broader environmental concerns in the region. Jammu Kashmir experienced a significant dip in precipitation during January 2025, with rainfall re...

Sheikh Nadeem Three young karate athletes from South Kashmir have made their mark at the prestigious Shotokan International Karate Championship 2025, held in Amritsar, Punjab. The championship witnessed participation from four countries—India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Representing Kashmir were Zaid Gulzar, Ayesha Aejaz, and Mohammad Mukaram. Two of them hail from Dooru Shahabad, while one is from Qazigund in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Out of 500 participants from four countries, 40 students from Jammu Kashmir competed, with only three from the Amateur Dojo making it to the final selection. Zaid Gulzar and Ayesha Aejaz won gold medals, while Mohammad Mukaram secured bronze. Zaid Gulzar, a student of Army Goodwill School Ujroo, Qazigund, and Ayesha Aejaz, from Decen...

A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was found dead with a bullet injury in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Thursday, officials said. The incident occurred in the border area of Mendhar sector when some jawans discovered the Naib Subedar lying injured. He was immediately rushed to a hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. The Army is investigating the incident, with initial reports suggesting the possibility of a suicide. (Agencies)

Athletes from Jammu Kashmir showcased impressive performances at the All India Inter SAI Rowing Championship held in Alleppey, Kerala. Zainab Shafi from Baramulla won bronze in the Senior Women Singles category, while Srinagar’s Irtiza Ali and Muntazir Ali Matoo also secured bronze in the Junior Men Pair category. A total of 10 athletes from the Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE), Nehru Park, represented J&K in the event. The success highlights the region’s growing prominence in water sports, with officials expressing pride and pledging continued support for the athletes.

The Indian cricket team, led by Rohit Sharma, faced a humiliation in the first Test of the three-match series against New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. The hosts were bowled out for a mere 46 runs, marking their lowest Test total at home and the third-lowest overall in their history. New Zealand's Matt Henry and William O'Rourke dismantled India's batting lineup, leaving five Indian players, including Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ravindra Jadeja, dismissed without scoring a single run. This historic low surpassed the previous record in Asia, held by West Indies (53 runs against Pakistan in 1986) and Pakistan (53 runs against Australia in 2002). India lost their first wicket at 9 runs, but the collapse accelerated as four of their top seven batters were di...

The ace archers from Jammu and Kashmir, Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar, have secured a bronze medal in the compound open archery mixed team event. 39-year-old Rakesh Kumar from Katra, Reasi, teamed up with 17-year-old Sheetal Devi from the village of Loidhar, Kishtwar. The duo defeated Italy’s Matteo Bonacina and Eleonora Sarti 156-155 to clinch bronze, just minutes after India suffered a narrow loss to Iran in the semi-finals. India’s bronze win came after Sheetal’s shot was upgraded following a revision. With just four arrows left, the Indians were trailing by a point, with Sarti in impressive form even as her partner Bonacina struggled. However, the Indian pair held on to emerge as winners in the end. The duo has become the first Olympic medalists from Jammu and Kashmir. Interes...

The Bhartiya Janta Party has suffered a major setback in Pattan constituency of the Baramulla district as strong Sikh candidate from the area has quit the party. At the same time the National conference received a major boost in the area when two time Municipal Committee Chairman Pritpal Singh Oberoi joined the party. On Sunday, Pritpal singh along with scores of his supporters joined the Jammu Kashmir National Conference where he was welcomed by the JKNC cadre. "With time I along with the people of Jammu Kashmir have realised that NC is the best political party that represents the sentiments of the people of the region. I took the decision after through deliberations with my workers and community members," Pritpal singh told the media. He said that he will campaign actively fo...