Uri, Feb 06 (KNO): As temperatures rise during the day and tourists flock to destinations like Gulmarg for skiing and sledge rides, a group of young enthusiasts from Uri subdivision in Baramulla district have chosen a unique winter pursuit – snow football.
As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), under the banner of "PirPanjal Football Club," led by 21-year-old Farhan Lone, these passionate boys are reshaping soccer in Kashmir, where traditional winter sports like skiing dominate.
Farhan, a resident of Bijhama in Uri, is not only a football enthusiast but also a dedicated vlogger. "We had a dream to play soccer in the snow, and every Kashmiri shares that dream. We organized a friendly match, and it was pure fun," Farhan told news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
The snow-covered playground featured one-foot-deep snow and two goal posts manned by players adorned in jerseys. The friendly match was not only recorded but also provided spectators with a picturesque scene against the snow-filled backdrop. Farhan expressed that the boys are deeply passionate about soccer, and playing in the snow was a dream come true. The Pir Panjal Football Club has already participated in approximately 15 soccer matches in various locations last year and plans to organize more matches on snowfields in the coming days.
“When we started playing soccer last year, we didn't have goal posts,” Farhan recalled. “We used stones around one foot high on both sides as goal posts. With the passion and support, we managed to acquire proper goal posts and even leveled the ground with the assistance of the government. Today, we organized our first soccer match in the snow,” he further said to KNO. Farhan said that the initiative by Pir Panjal Football Club will increase the passion of soccer lovers around the valley. "We appeal to the government to hold soccer matches in snow on the pattern of skiing and ice hockey in the valley," he added. He said that such initiatives will attract foreign tourists and athletes towards Kashmir—(KNO)