Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 4 : Since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed steady growth in sports infrastructure, participation and opportunities for young athletes.
Across the Union Territory, improved access to training facilities, coaching programmes and competitive platforms has encouraged many youngsters, particularly girls, to pursue sports as both a passion and a potential career.

Among the disciplines witnessing growing popularity is Taekwondo, with academies across Kashmir attracting an increasing number of students seeking self-defence training as well as competitive success.
At Srinagar's Al-Jawad Sports Academy, several young girls are undergoing professional Taekwondo training with the aim of representing Jammu and Kashmir and India at national and international competitions.
Sehar, a Taekwondo player training at the academy, said the sport had become an integral part of her life.
"I am learning Taekwondo at Al-Jawad Sports Academy. It is a very good platform for girls, and I want to make my career in this. Here we learn self-defence, poomsae, basic kicking and punching," she said.

Taekwondo is my passion, and I want to compete at the national and international level. I have been practising for the last 10 years and want to continue. If we work hard, there is definitely a future in this sport. Every girl should join because it is a great platform for self-defence and security," she added.
Another athlete, Sadaf Rehman, said Taekwondo was helping young women become physically stronger and more confident.
"I have been playing Taekwondo for a long time. Many girls are still unaware of this sport, and I want them to come forward and participate. Considering today's environment, it is important that girls learn self-defence. We receive training in strength conditioning, poomsae, punching, blocking and fight sparring," said Sadaf.
"Our coach supports us at every step and provides us with opportunities to move ahead. There are many career opportunities in this sport, including coaching and competing internationally. We are already preparing for coach training, and we work very hard every day," added the athlete.
Bilal Ahmed, another player at the academy, said special emphasis was being placed on training girls in self-defence while also preparing talented athletes for higher levels of competition.
"We mainly focus on training girls because self-defence is extremely important in today's society. With proper training, girls can also reach the international level. Our coach, Sujath Shah, works very hard to prepare students, and his dream is to see girls from Kashmir compete at the national and international level," Bilal said.

The expanding sporting ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir is also reflected in the success of athletes in combat sports.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Owais Yaqoob recently registered the biggest victory of his professional career by defeating Bulgarian fighter Delyan Georgiev via a first-round technical knockout (TKO) at BRAVE CF 107 in Burgas, Bulgaria, on August 1.
Following his victory, Yaqoob said representing India on the international stage was a matter of immense pride.
"Walking into enemy land with the Indian flag on your back. The crowd may not cheer for you. The arena may not be yours. But when you carry your country's flag, fear is no longer an option. Every step is for the people who believe in me. Every round is a tribute to the sacrifices made behind the scenes. Every second inside that cage is for India," he wrote in a social media post.
With growing participation, improved coaching infrastructure and increasing competitive exposure, Jammu and Kashmir is steadily emerging as a promising centre for combat sports, enabling young athletes to compete at national and international levels while promoting fitness, discipline and self-confidence.