Indian Army along with local football clubs organised Football tournament for budding talents of Lolab*
Aadil Akbar
Kupwara
*AFC Divar came out as *The Champions of Lolab Football Tournament 2022*. Football is a game close to the heart of Lolabians. Every household in Lolab has a tale of at least one football player etched in their family history. When rest of the Kashmir was obsessed with cricket, Lolab continued her love affair with football owing to the availability of many beautiful lush green football fields scattered along Lolab valley.
Lolab football tournament was organised by the Indian Army and local football clubs as a precursor to the ongoing *Lolab Mela 2022*. 16 Teams from all over Lolab participated and the teams were selected on the basis of knockout. The final match was played between AFC Divar and Young United Lalpura. The final match had people of Lolab pouring into the Tekipura Sports ground to support and cheer for their teams. Authorities were finding it difficult to control the crowd excited with *football fever*. The final match was won by AFC Divar with a whooping score of 2- 0 with both goals coming from the captain of AFC Divar Mr Amir Hamid Lone who was also adjudged as man of the match. Man of the series title was awarded to Mr Mohd Hussain Nazar. Trophies and exciting cash prizes for the winners and runners up will also be awarded on the culmination day of Lolab Mela 2022.
Chief guest for the final match was DDC Haji Farooq who graced the occasion and appreciated the initiative. This tournament was a platform for the budding talents of Lolab to showcase their talent and skills. The locals also arranged dance and music events as part of the opening ceremony. The overwhelming crowd is testimony to the interest the tournament raised amongst the locals. The sight of each player holding the hand of a child with a tiranga in his or her hand and jogging towards the football ground showcased the normalcy in the region and one could not help but realise the future of Kashmir is safe in the hands of these children and youth.
