Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday inaugurated the 22nd All India Vice-Chancellors’ T20 Cricket Tournament 2026 at the cricket ground of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-Jammu) at Chatha.
Being organised from November 13 to 23, the national-level tournament has brought together 24 teams representing universities from different parts of the country, including six teams from Jammu and Kashmir and 18 from other states.
Addressing the gathering, the CM congratulated SKUAST-Jammu, the participating universities and their vice-chancellors for bringing university employees together on a common sporting platform. He said the tournament was a welcome initiative that provided an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the contribution of university employees who work behind the scenes in strengthening academic institutions.
“Universities are not just about students. They are also built by the people who work behind the scenes to make these institutions shine. Often, these employees do not get the opportunity to come to the forefront. This tournament gives them a platform to showcase their talent and come together through sports,” he said.
Emphasising that the spirit of the tournament should go beyond competition, the CM said that while teams would compete against each other on the field, the real achievement would be the friendships and bonds they establish during their stay in Jammu.
{{/usCountry}}Emphasising that the spirit of the tournament should go beyond competition, the CM said that while teams would compete against each other on the field, the real achievement would be the friendships and bonds they establish during their stay in Jammu.
{{/usCountry}}He said that victory and defeat were integral to sports and urged participants to treat both with equanimity. Quoting renowned writer Rudyard Kipling, he said, “If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and treat both those imposters just the same,” adding that success and failure were temporary, while the friendships and memories created through such events endured.
Referring to Jammu and Kashmir’s recent sporting achievements, Omar said that if the same team continued to win every time, J&K might not have had the opportunity to bring home the Ranji Trophy last year, underlining that competition and changing fortunes were part of the sporting journey.
Welcoming the participating teams to Jammu, he described the city as the ‘City of Temples’ and invited the players to visit Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and explore the region’s cultural and historical attractions, including the border tourism facilities along the International Border.
Omar also encouraged the visitors to experience the hospitality and culinary traditions of Jammu, particularly the rich Dogra cuisine, which he said deserved as much appreciation as the well-known delicacies of Kashmir.
Earlier, the CM conducted the toss between the captains of the host SKUAST-Jammu team and Kavayitri Bahinabai Chaudhari North Maharashtra University Jalgaon team and interacted with players from the participating universities.
A major highlight of the ceremony was the impressive parade of participating university teams, reflecting the spirit of unity and sportsmanship.
In his address, vice-chancellor SKUAST-Jammu B.N. Tripathi expressed gratitude to the CM and other dignitaries for gracing the occasion. He said hosting the 22nd edition of the tournament was a matter of immense pride for the university and Jammu and Kashmir.
He observed that the tournament provided a unique national platform for university employees to showcase their sporting talent, promote physical fitness and strengthen professional relationships beyond their routine academic, research and administrative responsibilities. He also acknowledged the collective efforts of university officers, faculty, staff, students and the organising committee in making the event possible.