Leh hosts Kargil War Heroes Cup cricket tournament

Leh, May 21 (ANI): With an aim to remember and salute the soldiers who laid down their lives in the 1999 Kargil conflict, the city of Leh is hosting a memorial cricket tournament.

26 teams from across the country are taking part in this tourney named Kargil War Heroes Cup.

This year it is the eleventh edition of this tournament.

Enthusiasts of the game as well as scores of tourists gathered at the Polo Grounds to witness the cricket matches.

R S Chib, Minister for Medical Education, Technical Education, Youth Services and Sports in the government of Jammu and Kashmir inaugurated the tournament.

He said that alongside remembering the martyrs who had laid down their lives in defending the motherland, this tournament would motivate the local youth to take up the game of cricket and promote it.

"I think, that after facing so many problems, the youth brigade of Leh always remains in the forefront when it comes to promoting sports in the region," said R S Chib.

Tsewang Rigzen, Secretary, Sports and Cultural Welfare Society of Leh that has organised this tournament said that this year the matches would be played as per the Twenty20 format.

" The main aim behind this tournament is to salute the Kargil conflict heroes who sacrificed their lives for their nation. This is the eleventh edition of our tournament and this year we have organised this in the form of a T20 match," said Rigzen.

The Sports and Cultural Welfare Society of Leh has been sponsoring this tournament sans any financial support from the state or central government. (ANI)