Kathua, Aug 2: The District Administration Kathua today successfully concluded the first-ever Kathua Premier League organised under the Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyan, with GDC Kathua XI lifting the championship trophy after defeating Young Gun XI by eight wickets in the grand finale played at Government Degree College, Kathua.

DC Kathua, Rajesh Sharma, congratulated the winning team, runners-up and all participating players for making the maiden edition of the tournament a grand success. He informed that 24 teams comprising players below the age of 35 years participated in the league, reflecting the immense sporting talent and enthusiasm among the district's youth. Reaffirming the District Administration's commitment to promoting sports as an effective tool for youth engagement, the DC announced that several more sporting events are in the pipeline including a district-level football tournament. He urged the youth to channelise their energy towards sports and other constructive activities, stay away from the menace of drugs and contribute towards building a Nasha Mukt J&K and Nasha Mukt Bharat.
He lauded the efforts of CPO Ranjit Thakur and team members of District Administration for hosting the tournament in its real spirit.
Earlier, after winning the toss, Young Gun XI elected to bat first and posted a competitive 169/9 in 20 overs. Ladda top-scored with a brilliant 73 off 43 balls, while Ritik contributed 29 off 20 balls and Rahul Choudhary added 26 off 18 balls. For GDC Kathua XI, Nanav starred with the ball, claiming 4 wickets for 36 runs, while Rishabh Bhargav picked up three wickets.
Chasing a target of 170, GDC Kathua XI displayed an aggressive batting performance to reach 172/2 in just 15.2 overs, winning the final with 28 balls to spare. Dhruv remained unbeaten on 66 off 39 balls, while Dhanveer scored a fluent 54 off 39 balls. Nanav provided a blistering start with 24 off 12 balls and Rahul Singh remained unbeaten on 13 off 3 balls to guide his team to a comprehensive victory.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Nanav (GDC Kathua XI) was adjudged the Man of the Match for his outstanding all-round performance in the final. Dhruv (GDC Kathua XI) was declared the Man of the Tournament and also received the Best Batsman of the Tournament award for his exceptional performances throughout the competition. Sahil of Kathua Blasters XI was honoured with the Best Bowler of the Tournament award.
Among others, Physical Director GDC Boys Sandeep Sharma, CAO Jatinder Khajuria, Prof Goutam Singh, DIO Gurpreet Singh and other officers were also present.