J&K to host 59th National School Games for volleyball in Jammu

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir will host 59th National School Games in the category of volleyball in Jammu from December 19.

The Department of Youth Services and Sports is hosting the 59th National School Games under the auspices of School Games Federation of India (SGFI) in disciplines of volleyball at MAM Stadium in Jammu from December 19, Director General, Youth Services and Sports, Naveen Aggarwal told reporters here today. He further said that the championship will be hosted for under-14 boys and girls and it will be concluded on December 23. Aggarwal said that 42 teams with 22 boys and 20 girls from 22 states and union territories across the country are participating in the event. A record number of 502 budding skippers with 216 boys and 241 girls will be competing in the mega sports event, he said. The Director General further said that transportation and lodging facilities have been made by the department and girls teams will be lodged at Youth Hospital Nagrota, while the boys teams at Saraswati Dham, near Railway Station Jammu and Yatri Niwas at Bhagwati Nagar. Referring to the participation of J&K Team, Aggarwal said that J&K has not participated in national school games in the category of volleyball last year but this time we decided to host this event of national school game here. He hoped that J&K will win the medals in this event as it has not bagged any medal during last few years. He further said that pre-qualifying trials have already been done and teams selected for the event. It is for the first time in the history of J&K that such a record number of teams are participating in the national school games. He further said that fixtures of the matches would be decided tomorrow after finalisation by SGFI.