J&K Sports Council wraps up KCFL football trials across Kashmir

The Kashmir Champions Football League (KCFL) football trials organised by the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council concluded on Tuesday with the final leg of selections held in the South Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Kulgam and Pulwama.

The large-scale football talent hunt, as per a statement, witnessed massive participation from youngsters across the Valley and is being seen as one of the biggest grassroots football initiatives held in Jammu & Kashmir in recent years.

The trial process, which started on 13 May, covered ten districts, including Ganderbal, Shopian, Bandipora, Kupwara, Baramulla, Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Kulgam and Anantnag. Grounds at different venues remained packed with aspiring footballers hoping to make it into the KCFL structure.

The Kashmir Champions Football League (KCFL) trials witnessed an overwhelming response from footballers across the Valley, with a total of 1,067 registrations recorded from 10 districts of Kashmir. Srinagar registered the highest participation with 311 entries, followed by Baramulla with 263 registrations. Budgam recorded 98 registrations, while Ganderbal and Bandipora witnessed 83 and 82 registrations, respectively. Shopian registered 58 participants, followed by Anantnag with 51, Kulgam with 48, Kupwara with 40, and Pulwama with 33 registrations.

The trial programme commenced in district Ganderbal and later expanded district by district as teams of selectors and officials travelled across Kashmir to assess local talent.

The J&K Sports Council’s idea behind the initiative was to create a proper football pathway for young players who often lack exposure despite possessing talent and passion for the game.

J&K Sports Council’s KCFL initiative is aimed at strengthening grassroots football and keeping youth positively engaged through organised sports activities. The programme is also part of the wider Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir campaign focused on youth outreach and awareness.

The mega launch of the football league will be announced soon with information on venue and date of the matches.

With the completion of the district trials, selected players will now move into the next phase of the KCFL competition structure, giving young footballers from across Kashmir a bigger platform to showcase their abilities.