Srinagar, July 19: The Asmita Pencak Silat League 2025 was inaugurated today at the Indoor Stadium, Polo Ground, Srinagar, ahead of the main league matches scheduled to be held from July 19 to 21, 2025. The event, organized under the Khelo India initiative, aims to promote sports excellence and empower women athletes across India. More than 500 female athletes from different districts of J&K have gathered in Srinagar for the three-day competition.
The three-day Asmita Pencak Silat event is being organized by the Pencak Silat Association of J&K under the aegis of the Sports Authority of India and the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council. The event began with an impressive showcase of Pencak Silat techniques by the athletes.
The inauguration was graced by Ms. Nuzhat Gul, Secretary of the J&K Sports Council, who emphasized the importance of increasing women’s participation in sports and praised the development of Pencak Silat across the country, particularly among female athletes. She announced that the J&K Sports Council will host the Asian Junior Pencak Silat Championship in Srinagar from September 25 to 30, 2025, with participation from more than 15 countries, stating that such events will play a vital role in boosting sports tourism in the region.
Ms. Gul also congratulated the parents of the athletes, especially the mothers who accompanied their daughters to the event, for their support and encouragement in pursuing sports. The Guest of Honor, Smt. Mamta Shree Ojha, Director of Khelo India Games, Sports Authority of India, lauded the efforts of the organizers and praised the host state for facilitating such a grand event with enthusiastic participation and public support.
Other dignitaries present at the event included Abhinav Sharma, Deputy Director, Khelo India Games; Aman Sharma, High Performance Director, SAI; Gopal Kandpal, Joint Commissioner, SAI; Nuzrat Gazala, Sports Officer, Kashmir; Hilal Ahmad and Mohd Iqbal, Managers, J&K Sports Council; and Gautam Shukla from the J&K Sports Council.
The Asmita Pencak Silat League 2025 marks a significant step towards empowering women through martial arts and further solidifies Kashmir’s growing role as a hub for national and international sporting events.
