Shabir Ahmad Lone (42), a resident of Frisal Yaripora area of Kulgam engages local youth of his vicinity to help them to come out of psychological stress amid COVID-19 pandemic.
Shabir Ahmad who is presently posted at Government Degree College for Women Anantnag said that since 2003, he has struggled for local playground and after a struggle of over a decade, funds were released by district administration and later by youth services and sports for repairing the ground.
However, he said that even after spending lakhs of rupees, the condition of the ground wasn’t fit to play.
“During COVID-19 lockdown, when I saw that youth are distressed and are getting involved in drug addiction, I out of my own pocket money hired a tractor and Bulldozer to level this ground,” he said, adding that later he engaged local youth in different games to keep them away from drug addiction and stress.
“I have been a cricket lover and have played the game since my childhood and I always help others to play cricket,” he said, adding that any person who gets involved in games remains free from drug addiction and other futile exercises.
“I struggled for ground for many years as locals started encroaching it and later I managed to get 32 Kanals of the ground registered,” he said, adding that youth must protect grounds and stadiums on their own.
“I spent around 70 thousand rupees on the ground just for the welfare of the local youth,” he said, while appealing the government to provide at least one stadium at Tehsil or block levels so that local youth can engage themselves in sports activities.
He added that there is need to organized talent hunt programmes as there is lot of talent in youth of rural areas but they didn’t get any opportunity to show their talent reported KNO.