Srinagar, April 5 -- Players from various disciplines - including cricket, football, and athletics - say they are being made to pay for using facilities that are nowhere near fit for professional or even amateur-level practice. The situation, they allege, is getting worse with every passing season, despite the council's tall claims of reviving sports infrastructure in Kashmir.

The Khwaja Naqshband Stadium in Radpora has become a symbol of this alarming decay. Locals and sportspersons alike say the stadium is in a "terrible state" and barely functional. The ground often remains waterlogged for days after even a brief spell of rain, while the floodlights, essential for evening and night matches, have remained non-functional for months.

"T...