J&K Police kabaddi tournament in Ramban targets youth and drug abuse

Jammu and Kashmir Police organised a kabaddi tournament in Ramban on Saturday, 10 October, under its Civic Action Programme (CAP), using the sport to draw young people into organised activity and away from drugs. The event brought together local kabaddi players and was framed by officials as part of a wider push on discipline, community participation and positive engagement among youngsters in the district.

The reports did not list the participating teams, the format or a winner. The focus from the police, the district administration and the players was on what the tournament represented for Ramban’s young athletes.

Police tie the tournament to the anti-drug campaign

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ramban, Arun Gupta said the kabaddi tournament was one of a series of activities being held across the district on the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Jammu and Kashmir Police Headquarters.

“As per the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Jammu and Kashmir Police Headquarters, Civic Action Programmes are being organised across the district at subdivision and police station levels. The initiatives aim to engage youth, support the anti-drug campaign, and provide a platform for young people to showcase their talent. More such events will be organised in the coming days,” Gupta said.

Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, Alyas Khan praised the standard of play and asked for the programme to continue. “Our kabaddi players have displayed excellent skills, inspiring other youngsters to participate in sports. I thank the SSP and request that such sporting events continue under the Civic Action Programme, providing youth with opportunities to showcase their talent,” Khan said.

Ramban Blasters captain points to three national-level picks

The strongest voice from the mat came from Virender Singh Raju, captain of the Ramban Blasters Kabaddi Club, who thanked the police for staging sporting events on a regular basis across several disciplines.

“JK Police Ramban organised this Kabaddi tournament today as part of the Civic Action Programme. I want to thank the JK Police Ramban very much for always creating these kinds of opportunities everywhere, whether it’s a marathon, a volleyball tournament, Kabaddi, cricket, or Kho-Kho. I just hope that the JK Police keeps organising these sports events so that the youth can do their best to make the district proud and stay away from drugs and depression,” Raju said.

Raju said three players from the club’s under-19 team had been selected for national-level kabaddi competition, and argued that regular local tournaments were the route for more Ramban players to follow them.

“Three of our boys from our Under-19 team were selected for the National level in Kabaddi this time around. So if we keep getting opportunities like this, one day we’ll also see athletes from Ramban playing anywhere, whether it’s on TV in the Pro Kabaddi League or on an international stage. We thank you very much once again to the District Administration Ramban and JK Police Ramban. The youth will play, and India will win,” he added.

For a hill district that is rarely mentioned in national kabaddi conversations, three under-19 selections from a single club is the kind of pathway local organisers are hoping to build on.

Part of a wider sporting push in the district

The kabaddi event followed other efforts to promote sporting talent in Ramban. Last month, the Department of Youth Services and Sports, Jammu and Kashmir, working with the District Administration Ramban, held the Inter-Division Union Territory (UT) Level Chess Competition 2026-27 at Yatri Niwas in Chanderkote. Around 59 players from the Jammu and Kashmir divisions took part across under-14, under-17 and under-19 boys’ and girls’ categories, with Jammu Division winning all six categories and Kashmir Division finishing runners-up in each.

No dates or venues have been announced for the next Civic Action Programme events, but SSP Gupta said more would be organised at subdivision and police station levels across Ramban in the coming days.