Had seen firing, fear always in this beautiful area, says locals
Sajid Raina
Gurez, Aug 22: Scores of people turned up on Saturday to witness a football match as enthusiasm overshadowed the fear in this border area of Gurez in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Gurez valley in Bandipora district has remained in news for the last almost three decades for gun battles between infiltrating militants and the security forces. However, today, people unmindful of Covid threat thronged the football ground to entertain themselves, nevertheless for a change.
The brain behind the revival of football in the Gurez Tahir Baig, who is also eminent footballer of Valley said that holding such an event in remote area near LoC is possible only due to the wholehearted support of locals.
“I don’t feel that this place is close to the LoC. Such was the enthusiasm of the football fans that for a moment, we forgot whether we are near border or somewhere else,” Tahir told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
He said that he organised the tournament to Promote Football in the remote area of Gurez. “Since there is very much talent among the Youth of Gurez, they only need is to locals should be trained at the grass root level. Bandipora Football Community will try every possible effort to promote football at local levels,” he said.
The First kind of Football Tourney in Gurez was kick-started on August 19 and which concluded yesterday at Habba Khatoon Sports Stadium.
In the final, Sports Club crushed Dawar FC by 3-0. Though Dawar FC made several moves from both flanks to reduce the goal deficit but failed. When the final whistle blew, the final score-line didn’t alter.
The tournament was organised by Bandipora Football Community in Collaboration with J&K Students Association and National and International Footballers Forum. People from different walks appreciated organizers of the tournament for organizing such events to promote talent and football in Border area Gurez.
Irfan, a local of Dawar Gurez told KNO that in his lifetime, he has never seen Football in Gurez before this. “We have suffered immensely from last three decades since area is close to the LOC. We hope that Bandipora football community will hold such events in near future too in Gurez to promote football and talent of Gurez,” he said—(KNO)
