NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi Sunday spotlighted two new milestones in Jammu & Kashmir – Pulwama’s first-ever day-night cricket match and the inaugural Khelo India Water Sports Festival on Srinagar’s Dal Lake – hailing them as signs of a changing Valley and of India’s sporting aspirations.Calling the sporting events in J&K “special accomplishments”, he said, “In a stadium in Pulwama, a record number of people gathered. Here, Pulwama’s first day-night cricket match was played. Earlier, this was considered impossible. But now my country is changing.” Thousands of youth turned up under floodlights to enjoy the game, he noted.The 125th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme featured a conversation with Srinagar’s Mohsin Ali, who won the festival’s first gold medal in the 1,000 metre kayaking race. Ali told the PM, “My dream is to win an Olympic medal” and recalled how he first saw boats moving on the Dal Lake as a child, and with encouragement from his father and coaches took to water sports.Praising his perseverance, the PM said, “The young people of J&K have the strength to make the nation proud. Mohsin has shown that even the son of a labourer can dream of the Olympics – and achieve it through dedication.”Equally, the Dal Lake festival brought together more than 800 athletes from across India. Madhya Pradesh topped the medals tally, followed by Haryana and Odisha. Praising the “cordiality and hospitality” of the people of J&K, Modi said, “Jo khelta hai, woh khilta hai (those who play, bloom). The more tournaments our country plays, the more it prospers.”Referring to recent natural disasters such as cloudbursts and heavy rains in different parts of the country, he said, “Natural disasters are testing the country”, while hailing security forces for carrying out successful rescue operations in difficult conditions and terrains. Modi also lauded the services provided by all those “who have kept humanity above everything else during this testing time”.On the recent UPSC initiative Pratibha Setu, Modi said the portal having details of over 10,000 youngsters, who could not make it to the final list of UPSC recruitments by a small margin, has helped PSUs and private companies to tap best talent and hundreds have got jobs. “There are thousands of capable candidates, whose hardwork is no less than others, but they were unable to reach the final list by a small margin. These candidates have to prepare afresh for other exams. That costs both their time and money. Pratibha Setu has been created for such sincere students,” he said.
