KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Amid applause by over 4000 audience, Paradise Eleven – a cricket team from South Kashmir – on Thursday lifted the first “Mufti Mohammad Sayeed T20 Cricket Tournament”.
The initiative by Youth wing of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aims at “spread peace”.
While sharing the details of the first of its kind mega event, Arif Amin, a vocal PDP activist, said that a total of 64 teams participated in the event.
“Finally, Paradise Eleven and Shama Eleven reached the finals which was played today at Shopian Cricket stadium,” he said.
Cricketing sensation Pervez Rasool was the chief guest on the occasion who gave away the prizes and mementos among the winning and runners up teams.
PDP youth wing president, Waheed ur Rehman Para, presided over the function.
The event, Arif said, started in May. “The final witnessed sensation as there was tie between the two competing teams,” he said, “it happened two times and finally, empires decided to play a super over.”
“As the supporters of both the teams were emotional, Paradise Eleven needed six runs of the last ball,” he said, “the batsmen recreated Javid Miandad scene and hit a last ball six thus lifting the title.” Javid Miandad of Pakistan once hit a last ball six winning a 5-50 over cricket match against India.
Arif said that this was first tournament and Youth PDP will be holding such events across Kashmir.
Arif said that the guests distributed mementos, cricket uniforms, cricket kits and other sports equipment among the players.
Speaking to Kashmir Life, Waheed ur Rehman Para, under whose patronage the Mega event was held, said, “it was dream of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to empower youth. This initiative was a step towards that.”
Given the rampant drug addiction, Para said, “the push in sports will help us to a large extent to take youth away from this disease.”
Para believes that the youth need to be given time to celebrate. “This will distress them and will enable them to think on developmental front,” he said, “we should give our people chances to celebrate and holding such mega events is a step towards that.”
He said, “youth was focus of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and it is our endeavour to uphold that dream and create ample opportunities for Kashmir’s youth.”
