New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir will host its first ever international martial arts games, in which over 12 countries are expected to participate, in the first week of October this year in the summer capital, Srinagar. The international tournament is scheduled to be held from October 3 to October 7, 2018, at S K Indoor Stadium in this summer capital.
The Asian Martial Arts Games will not only give a platform to the young martial artists of the state to showcase their talent and gain experience by observing players of different countries but will also send out a positive message to the rest of the world that the situation in the valley has improved. This will also help in countering the negative campaign initiated by a section of the national media.
“The motto behind to host the international event in Kashmir is to present a platform for people-to-people interaction between the people of the valley and rest of Asian countries,” Rameez Khan, General Secretary of J&K State KiAiDo Association, the organisers of the international event, said.
By this, he said the event would also help in tourism promotion – a sector which has taken a hit since the 2016 unrest and wrong portrayal of Kashmir by a section of national media last year in the rest of the world.
He said all the players, including foreigners, once experiencing the hospitality and beauty of Kashmir, will for sure become brand ambassadors of the valley in their respective countries and states.
“So far, the National Martial Arts Committee-India (NMAC-India) has received consent from about 12 countries. Over 1,000 martial arts, including over 200 foreigners, are expected to participate in the international event,” he said.
Mr Khan said that various Martial Art forms, including KiAiDo, Taekwondo, Kickboxing, Grappling, a besides six other styles are part of the international games.
He said J&K state KiAiDo Association received consent from the national body to hold the event during the General Body meeting held under the chairmanship of President of NMAC-India Narender Singh Mor, who is Joint Secretary of Haryana Olympic Association at Delhi-NCR on December 30, 2017.
“We received permission to hold the international event from the government on Thursday evening. The state government has also assured all possible help for making this event a success. I would like to thank our state Sports Minister Imran Reza Ansari and Secretary Sports Council, Waheed ur Rehman Para for their support and encouragement,” he added.