First ever under-lights cricket tournament at militancy-hotbed Pulwama try to heal old wounds
30 km south of Srinagar, once the first lights and live cricket tournament in the militant-hot Pulwama, the healing of old wounds and bowling on the natives looking for entertainment late at night.
A black flexible board, just a few meters away from the grenade attack site, which left to 17 security personnel injured on 24 August 2916, reads Royal Premier League Pulwama, the names of 10 teams.
Pulwama Town is hosting a few massacred militants ‘commanders’, protesters who maintained physical disability in demonstrations in 2016 and the families of prison young people, but the Natives see the tournament, a rare reason for smiling on their faces.
“A town to close before the sunset, on August 26th until 2 o’clock in a match. Every ball was cheered and each run was celebrated. In the middle of the night, a traffic congestion in Pulwama was rare. They all had smiles on their faces,” he said.
27 -year -old Irfan Ahmad Bhat, screen review, digital score board, English interpretation and live transfer on social media for the first time with technological services behind the brain behind the lighting tournament.
“In the first hour of the live match on social media, he witnessed a traffic around the Netizen. The enthusiasm of the crowd in the stadium was electric and incredible. Mr. Bhat, after the first shot, we had to examine the crowds with the help of the police.” Hindu.
Rain may have played Spoilsport on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, but Mr. Bhat plans to continue the matches from 28 August 2025 Thursday. Bhat, “We will not give up any match and all teams will play. La 15 Lakh for the winning team, La 8 for the second place and a car for the man of the match. We want the best team to reach the finals,” he said.
10 teams participating in the tournament also invited players from Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Bhat Alias Sarkar, “Our youth, light jack and grass has been exposed to the small gate. The purpose of the tournament is to provide a platform to educate the valley under lights. This will help them to emerge on larger platforms at national level,” he said.
For Mr. Bhat, Cricket is also a panacea for a great bad eating into the vital life of the society in Pulwama. “Drug addiction is crippling Pulwama’s youth. This will help young people away from drugs and withdraw from the jack,” he added.
Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, a local legislature (PDP) from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), who fought with a lawsuit within the scope of UAPA, stayed at the stadium overnight to join local youth.
“I believe that our youth, which is loaded with the uncertainty of the personal and political future, is living with deep trauma and anxiety. The area around them feels drowned. We tried to open an area for celebration, hope and happiness for this initiative-young young people and young people.”
However, Mr. Parra said, “This is not a statement of peace, but in the most difficult times, it is the urge to stay sane and find joy. In those moments, we laugh together on small victories when most of our inheritance goes”.
The first match between Royal Goodwill and Sultan Warriors was a quotation and continued to decide the final winners. “Every corner of Kashmir is represented through teams. A jet festival that witnessed for the first time in Pulwama,” Bhat said.
For Aquib Ahmad, who was on the road, it was a rare scene to see that the crowds were looking for food in the death of the night. Ahmad, “I was not late at night even in Eid. All foods were sold until 1 morning,” he said.
Published – 27 August 2025 23:16 IST
