The northern regional centre of was created with a specific purpose and initially set up at NIS, Patiala in June 1988. In the 90s, the authorities moved it to Chandigarh from where the centre functioned until Haryana donated 83 acres of land for a new centre. But in all these 20 years, it never reached out to J&K, though the state was very much under the SAI scheme of things.

While states like Punjab, Delhi, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh benefited from its schemes, J&K suffered all the time. Probably, the militancy in the state had a role to play that kept the SAI officials at bay. But not any more.

For the first time, the centre organised a selection trial last year for hockey and football in Baramulla and Poonch. And now, selected sportspersons from these two districts are undergoing a unique winter camp at the newly-built centre.

With director in charge at the centre, Sudhanshu S Roy, training his sights on sportspersons from the Valley, following a visit to Baramulla and Poonch last July, the response has been encouraging.

Over 50 boys—14-17 years old—are at the camp, most of them from poor families, and some of them still savouring the experience of having boarded a train for the first time.

“Coming as they do from a poor background, these boys are enjoying the stay, food and facilities they can only dream of,” says SP Singh Bhola, a hockey coach from Baramulla.

Shyamlal Sharma, a coach from Poonch, agrees: “These boys never got to train or play in full hockey kit. Now that SAI has provided each one of them with a full kit, there are many back home who want to join such camps. Even parents are forcing them to join these camps. This was something unheard of until last year.”

Then, there’s the added attraction of a stipend—Rs 500 per month.

Says MK Verma, a veteran SAI football coach in Jammu: “For outsiders, J&K is a troubled state. But for us, the risk factor is something we have been living with. So, I am not surprised at Kashmiri parents sending their children here.”

Both Bhola and Sharma are sure that their sub-junior hockey team would make it to the Nehru tournament in New Delhi next year. “And that will be just reward for our efforts,” says SAI’s Roy.

Next on the agenda, says Roy, is a volleyball camp for boys over six-feet tall. “Coming from high-altitude places, they are best suited for endurance games,” says Roy.