Football tourney kicks off in Katra

Our Correspondent

Katra, February 11

A week-long 73rd National Football Championship began at the sports stadium here on Monday. Adviser to Governor K Vijay Kumar inaugurated the tournament being organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Football Association under the aegis of All India Football Federation.

The championship is being held from February 11-16 for the Santosh Trophy North Zone (qualifying round). Eight teams — Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and host Jammu and Kashmir — are participating in it. In the first match, Delhi defeated Chandigarh by 1-0 and Jammu & Kashmir beat Uttarakhand by 3-1.

Simrandeep Singh, Chief Executive officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, said it was the desire of the board chairman (Governor) to hold tournaments of national repute at the sports complex in Katra. The town which otherwise is world famous for holy pilgrimage also has assets to hold international and national sports events, he said.