JAMMU: The four-day annual BSF sports meet began here today in which about 1,200 personnel would participate in sports such as wrestling, boxing, weightlifting and Kabbadi.
The Inter-Frontier Sports Competition of the Border Security Force is aimed at preparing the jawans for national and international-level championships.
Inaugurating the event, additional director general of BSF, Western Command, K N Choubey, said, "The BSF is promoting sports activities within the organisation in a big way. We should work towards ensuring that some of our personnel represent the country in the next Olympics."
Choubey, who was here in connection with the visit of Union minister Rajnath Singh, said over the years the number of sports-related activities has come down in the organisation but Director General K K Sharma intends to revive the culture.
He said BSF personnel are performing a difficult job of securing the borders of the country. The force has earned a name for its outstanding performance on the frontiers and the it wishes that its men win laurels at the national-level events as well, he added.
The 11 teams participating in the competition are from Gujarat, Guwahati, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, Manipal and Cachar, North Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan, South Bengal and Tripura.
The inspector general of BSF, Jammu frontier, Ram Avtar, said the event was not just aimed at preparing the jawans for national and international competitions but intended to break the monotony of their routine schedule.
"During the day, the jawans patrol the borders and at night they are busy thwarting ambush-style attacks. Sports is the best way to keep them physically and mentally fit," he said.
The officer said the teams have been selected after tough competitions at the inter-company, inter-battalion and intersector levels. He asked the teams to ensure that no unfair means were employed to win the game.
"Last year, we hosted the inter-frontier hockey competition and we are proud that no untoward activity was reported during the event," he said.
Earlier in the day, the jawans presented a Punjabi folk dance and musical yoga, while the students of Jammu BSF school swayed to some hit Bollywood numbers.
"Yoga has become a part of the exercise routine of the jawans. It keeps them fit," a BSF spokesman said.