Beyond Cricket: Water Skiing, Snowshoe Nationals, a 900-Athlete Women's Festival and Six Thousand Marathon Runners

The Irani Cup took the headlines this week, but J&K's youth sport was busier than one stadium. Here are five items from 1 to 8 October 2026, drawn from Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader reports. Most are in the Kashmir division; they are included because they show what the UT's sporting calendar offers, and where Jammu's athletes can aim.

Water skiing on Nigeen Lake

The 19th J&K UT Water Skiing Championship ran on 4 and 5 October at the Water Sports Centre, Nigeen Lake, Srinagar. It was organised by the J&K Water Skiing Association under the J&K Sports Council, and the closing ceremony's chief guest was Ab Majeed, in-charge of water sports at Nehru Park. Results were not given in the report.

J&K gets the 2027 SnowShoe nationals

J&K has been granted hosting rights for the 11th National SnowShoe Championship in 2027. A national coaching camp runs 7 to 10 October in Srinagar. Mir Mudassar, president of the SnowShoe Federation of India and a vice-president of the World SnowShoe Federation, said the aim is to develop snowshoe running in J&K while promoting tourism and winter sport. Venue and dates for the 2027 championship were not stated.

A 900-athlete college festival

The first North Kashmir Women's Sports Festival began on 6 October at GDC Women Sopore and runs to 8 October. Organisers listed 900 athletes from 14 degree colleges and five higher secondary schools across seven sports. Higher Education Commissioner Secretary Ram Nivas Sharma inaugurated it, saying sport builds discipline, teamwork and leadership.

School runners on the Kashmir Marathon podium

The Kashmir Marathon on 1 October drew over 6,000 runners, according to the school whose pupils placed. Liyana Ishrath (Class 7) won the under-14 girls' category, Hareem Ishrath (Class 10) was second in junior girls (under-18), and Labeeb Shah (Class 6) was third in under-14. JammuBeat has covered the Jammu leg of the unity-run season earlier.

Youth football and a border-district T20

Downtown Heroes FC won both the under-17 boys' and girls' titles at the Gen Bipin Rawat Memorial Kashmir Football Tournament on 5 and 6 October; scores were not reported. In Gurez, 16 teams played a knockout T20 run by Bandipora police; Chontiwari beat Wanpora by 16 runs, 185 to 169.

What to take from it: the UT calendar has room for water sports, winter sports, women's college sport and grassroots football, and the 2027 SnowShoe nationals is an opening that has not yet been advertised to Jammu athletes. Photo: file photo of Nigeen Lake, Srinagar.

Sources: Greater Kashmir, water skiing; Greater Kashmir, SnowShoe; Kashmir Reader, Sopore festival; Greater Kashmir, marathon; Greater Kashmir, football; Greater Kashmir, Gurez T20.