Jammu, Nov 18: The J&K Senior National Football Team was ceremoniously flagged off from MA Stadium, Jammu, yesterday. The team is set to compete in the first leg of the prestigious Santosh Trophy matches in Amritsar, Punjab.
J&K has been placed in Group-A alongside Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Punjab. The team will play its first match on November 20th against Punjab.
The team has undergone an intensive training camp under the mentorship of expert coaches from the J&K Sports Council, including Mehrajuddin Wadoo, an international player and reputed coach, and Satpal Singh Kala, the Chief Football Coach.
The training camp was held in two phases, first in Srinagar and then in Jammu, under the directives of the Secretary, J&K Sports Council.
The squad comprises 22 players and 4 technical staff members, all geared up to represent J&K in this esteemed national tournament.
Satish Sharma, Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, conveys his best wishes to the team in their forthcoming matches. He added in his message that he expresses his hope that the J&K team would make it to the final round this year.
Additionally, he stated that football is the most popular sport in J&K and that the system will soon be overhauled to allow for smooth gameplay by aspiring players. In order to prepare a large pool of talented players who will advance to the national and international competitions, coaching camps, training sessions, and competitive matches will be held in every district throughout the year, he added.
