Lt Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurates 6th Senior Asian Pencak Silat Championship in Srinagar

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated 6th Senior Asian Pencak Silat Championship being held in Srinagar. The event brings together over 150 athletes from different countries. Addressing the gathering, the Lt Governor extended his greetings to the members of sporting fraternity,  jury members and welcomed all the guests to enjoy the hospitality and incredible sights of Jammu Kashmir during the wonderful tournament. 

Mr. Sinha said over the next five days we will celebrate and honour individual strength and sporting excellence.

He observed that the ongoing sporting events across Jammu and Kashmir have kindled hopes and it is a sign of a robust sports culture in the society. He observed that in the last two years, we have formulated and implemented strategic sports development plan which is paying dividends. 

The Lt Governor said that better infrastructure together with experts and outstanding coaches has brought a major shift in training programmes and has also



implemented a new sports policy and offering attractive career options for the sportspersons. He underscored that Sports is all about unifying the spirit of universal harmony and brotherhood. 

Noting that Pencak Silat is relatively new to India and introduced only in 2014, the Lt Governor said within a few years, Jammu & Kashmir has witnessed an upswing in the performance of our athletes in national and international events and they have earned 540 medals in the national events and 17 medals in the International events. He informed that more than 1.7 million children and youth participated in various sporting disciplines and this year, the number is expected to go beyond 3.5 million. He said the overwhelming participation clearly indicates a resurgence of sports in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, the Lt Governor interacted with the members of International teams of Pencak Silat from Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Nepal.