Thousands Turn Up To Watch Day-Night Cricket Match In Pulwama

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Pulwama- Thousands turned up to watch the first-ever day-night cricket match in this south Kashmir district, a spectacle PDP legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Para hailed as the“start of a new inning” for valley's youngsters.

The inaugural match of the Royal Premier League was being played at Pulwama Sports Stadium between Royal Goodwill and Sultan Springs Baramulla. In total, 12 teams from across Jammu and Kashmir are participating in the tournament being played under the floodlights.

Calling it a landmark for youth engagement in the region, PDP's Pulwama MLA Para, who was present among the spectators, described the event as the“start of a new inning” for youngsters in the valley.

“Sports can be a bridge of hope and opportunity. This is more than a match - it is a celebration of aspirations,” he told PTI.

“This is for the first time that a day and night cricket match is being played anywhere in Kashmir, especially in Pulwama. This is the start of a new inning for our youngsters who were earlier hopeless and depressed due to growing unemployment and political uncertainty,” Para said.

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Referring to the jam-packed stadium, Para said the record gathering of people from across the valley for this match is a good start.

“This is a youth-led initiative, the organizers, the promoters and the players who have come from different parts of J&K. Our effort is to keep our youngsters away from drugs, pull them out of depression caused by unemployment and political uncertainty and give them new hope through such tournaments,” the PDP leader said.

He said the tournament will reach every district and“we wish the players good luck”.

The organizers said the initiative was aimed at promoting local talent and offering the valley's youth a platform to showcase their sporting skills in a professional setting.

For many in the crowd, the match was about more than cricket - it was about reclaiming evenings with joy, hope, and togetherness under the floodlights.

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