Chief Minister Inaugurates Sports Infrastructure Worth 30.35 Crore In Srinagar
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah inaugurated sports infrastructure projects worth ₹30.35 crore at the Sher-e-Kashmir Multi-Sports Activity Centre (SKMSAC) in Gindun, Rajbagh, Srinagar. This marks a significant expansion of facilities for swimming and gymnastics in the Union Territory.
The newly inaugurated facilities include a 50m x 25m, 10-lane Olympic-standard swimming pool; an all-weather heated training pool and a pool for toddlers; and a modern indoor gymnastics hall equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister stated that these new facilities would provide youth with opportunities to take up sports beyond traditional ones and enable them to undergo training throughout the year.
He said, “Through this facility, we are striving to provide a new sporting environment for students. For instance, an Olympic-standard swimming pool has been constructed in Kashmir for the first time. It now features a water-heating system powered by solar energy, allowing children to practice and train here all year round.”
Built at a cost of ₹19.96 crore, the main swimming pool complex includes 10 competition lanes; diving platforms at heights of 1, 3, and 5 meters; modern filtration, circulation, and disinfection systems; changing rooms; washrooms; storage lockers; and seating arrangements for 300 people. This facility is designed to promote competitive swimming, diving, and other water-based sports.
The training and children’s swimming pool facility, constructed at a cost of ₹5.35 crore, is designed for year-round use. It features a heating system, an indoor lap pool, a pool suitable for children, anti-skid pool decking, and modern filtration systems. Additionally, a gymnastics hall built at a cost of ₹5.04 crore, spanning an area of 36 meters by 21 meters with a height of 10 meters has been equipped with modern gymnastics apparatus.
This facility is expected to provide a dedicated platform for gymnastics training and coaching in Kashmir; the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council is already conducting coaching camps here and is working towards developing a dedicated gymnastics academy. Speaking about this new gymnastics facility, the Chief Minister noted that while there is considerable enthusiasm among children in Kashmir to take up the sport, opportunities were previously limited due to a lack of adequate infrastructure.
“Generally, when we speak of gymnastics in Jammu and Kashmir, the conversation is limited to Jammu. However, our children are interested in the sport and wish to pursue it in Kashmir as well; yet, the lack of infrastructure had prevented them from doing so.”
“Today, a magnificent indoor gymnastics hall has been inaugurated. Similarly, we will continue to introduce other sports to provide our children with options and opportunities, enabling them to develop an interest in new disciplines,” the Chief Minister added.
During the inauguration, the Chief Minister watched live demonstrations of swimming and gymnastics performed by athletes and trainees at the newly constructed facilities. The objective of this new infrastructure is to strengthen grassroots sports participation, expand access to professional coaching, and create better pathways for young athletes to advance to national and international competitions.
All-weather swimming facilities will enable continuous training, even during the winter months. Present on the occasion were Minister for Youth Services and Sports Satish Sharma, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Lal Chowk MLA Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed, Hazratbal MLA Salman Sagar, Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, and J&K Sports Council Secretary Nuzhat Mukhtar Kavosa, alongside students, athletes, and other concerned officials.
