J&K Sports Council pushes district football revival through KCFL initiative

In a move aimed at reshaping the football landscape of Jammu & Kashmir, the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council on Friday held the Player Draft Ceremony for the Kashmir Champions Football League (KCFL), a first-of-its-kind district-based competition designed to identify, nurture and promote football talent across Kashmir.

The league, as per a statement, seeks to bridge grassroots football with professional opportunities by combining local talent with experienced players from the Indian Super League and I-League.

The Player Draft Ceremony for the Kashmir Champions Football League (KCFL), a flagship football development initiative of the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council, was successfully conducted at Gindun Ground Sports Complex, Srinagar, in the presence of Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches, Team Managers, Marquee Players, franchise owners, football legends, and other stakeholders associated with the league.

The Kashmir Champions Football League has been conceptualised by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir to identify, nurture, and promote football talent across all ten districts of the Kashmir Division.

As part of the league’s talent identification process, scouting teams comprising experienced coaches, talent identification experts, and technical officials were deputed across all ten districts of the Kashmir Division to conduct extensive trials. Hundreds of aspiring footballers participated in the selection process, where their technical abilities, physical attributes, tactical understanding, and overall potential were assessed. Following a rigorous evaluation process, the most promising players from each district were selected on merit and inducted into their respective district teams.

Following the completion of scouting and player selection, the Player Draft Ceremony was organised to ensure a transparent, balanced, and competitive team-building process. The draft was carefully structured to provide equal opportunities to all participating teams while maintaining fairness and competitive parity throughout the league. Each district team was constituted through a combination of locally identified talent and marquee players from Jammu & Kashmir, including former national-level players as well as footballers who have represented clubs in the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League.

In a significant gesture of appreciation and recognition, several franchise owners, business establishments, sports promoters, and patrons of football who have consistently contributed towards the promotion and development of sports in Jammu & Kashmir were felicitated on the directions of the Commissioner Secretary, Youth Services & Sports, and the Secretary, J&K Sports Council. Their contributions towards strengthening the sporting ecosystem of the Union Territory were acknowledged and appreciated by all stakeholders present on the occasion.

Subsequently, a Franchise Owners’ Meet was convened to deliberate upon the vision, structure, and operational framework of the league. During the meeting, franchise owners were formally allotted their respective district teams and entrusted with the responsibility of supporting and managing their franchises throughout the competition.

The franchise owners expressed their gratitude to the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, the Department of Youth Services & Sports, and the J&K Sports Council for conceptualising a first-of-its-kind football platform that ensures representation from all districts of the Kashmir Division.

The district teams dedicated to the franchise owners were Athwas India Group led by Arshid Gujoo, Real Kashmir Owner Arshad Shawl, Tahseen Construction Works Tahseen, Greenend Infra, Shakeel Gazi, MJ Fruits Bandipora, Jalal Akbar Lone, Arco Group Sohail Anim, Aqua Kashmir Arshad Zargar, Sarposh Handicrafts, Naseer Ahmad, Orchardly Fruit Fertilisers Ehsan Qudusi, Kashmir Monitor Shamim Meraj, Sports Promoter Javed Bhat, Social & Sports Activist Omar Kakroo, Elizabeth Tours Showkat Pakhtoon, New JK Roadways Maqbool Lone, Fucan Sports Kaiser Bhat & Waseem Khan, all were present on the occasion.

Prominent footballers of Jammu & Kashmir, including Danish Farooq Bhat, Indian National Team player and one of the region’s most accomplished ISL footballers, Mohammad Hammad, ISL and I-League player, and Muheet Shabir, ISL and I-League player along with other top level players were also present on the occasion.

The players lauded the efforts of the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, the Department of Youth Services & Sports, and the J&K Sports Council for launching an initiative dedicated to grassroots football development and youth empowerment.

The occasion was also attended by some of the most accomplished football coaches and technical experts of the Valley, including Sajid Yousuf, FIFA Coach Educator and AFC Pro Licence holder; Ishfaq Ahmed, Former Indian National Team Player and AFC Pro Licence holder; Hilal Rasool Parray, AFC Pro Licence holder; Javeed Ahmad Sofi, Senior Football Coach, J&K Sports Council; Muzamil Mahmood, AFC A Licence holder; Manzoor Dar, AFC A Licence holder; Shahnaz Iqbal, AFC A Licence holder; Zahid Shafi, AFC A Licence holder; Ehsan Masood, AFC B Licence holder; Khalid Qayoom, AFC B Licence holder; Mohammad Hanief, AFC B Licence holder; and Adil Qadir, AFC B Licence holder.

The coaches collectively appreciated the vision of the Secretary, J&K Sports Council, in conceptualizing and implementing the Kashmir Champions Football League.