The tragic events of April 22, when 26 tourists were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir, were not only devastating for families and friends of the victims. They also pushed India and Pakistan into a dangerous confrontation and had consequences on the football field too. Real Kashmir FC (RKFC) has been working hard to present a different face of the region to the wider world, with some success, but now the area it represents was back in the news for all the wrong reasons.
The immediate challenge is to ensure the events of April do not drive public interest and the private sector away from a club that is less than a decade old but has already made significant progress. “April 22 is the most unfortunate and tragic incident that could have happened,” Arshad Shawl, the owner of RKFC, told DW. “It sets us back because when you have millions of tourists coming in, it becomes a bigger and better market for brands, products and services. When there is escalation between the two countries, it becomes an unattractive place for all.”
India and Pakistan both claim Muslim-majority Kashmir in its entirety, but each only controls a section of territory, as does China. The region has been a flashpoint for India and Pakistan since they became independent from the United Kingdom in 1947. Long-term security issues and civil unrest ensured that even before the mass shooting in April, this beautiful part of the world often made international headlines for the wrong reasons.
“We were literally cut off from the whole world in many forms,” Shawl said. “The youth were disillusioned as there were no investments into the region.”
Out of misery
After floods devastated Kashmir in 2014, two people came together to try and make a difference. Shamim Mehraj, a Muslim newspaper owner, and Hindu businessman Sandeep Chattoo, who died in 2023, decided that local youngsters needed something to keep them from drifting into violence. They distributed 100 footballs. It was simple but effective.
“That was the idea,” said Shawl. “‘Let’s start allowing the Kashmir youth, feeling stress, anxiety and depression, to come and play.'” It all started from there and in 2016, Real Kashmir FC came into existence. “The club was formed with a motto: ‘create, believe and inspire.’ [Kashmir] was known for bullets and stones but every Real Kashmir win symbolises our collective effort.”
It has struck a chord with locals. South Asia may be a hotbed of cricket but this northwestern corner of the subcontinent is different. “We grow up with football and we have a passion for it,” fan Amal Mirza told DW. “We have a different identity in Kashmir, and football gives us a chance to enjoy that for ourselves and show it to others.”
The club also says so in its official video, explaining that, “when you see Kashmir through the lens of football, you see the real Kashmir.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=0w7a0_JUuPg&t=126s
Climbing the mountain
Helped to get off the ground by local and national support, the club started out in the third tier of Indian football and was promoted to the I-League in 2018. The following year, it reached the semifinals of the Durand Cup, one of the oldest cup competitions in the world.
Since then, the so-called “Snow Leopards” have been performing well in the second tier and in the 2024-25 season, finished third, just three points from the top spot and promotion.
The breathtaking scenery with mountains, lakes and forest has actually helped the players too. “We are at a high altitude and with our oxygen capacity and diet, we are quite strong physically,” said Shawl.
Faisal Ashraf, cofounder of the Real Kashmir Fan Club, has been a supporter since the beginning. “There is a love for football in Kashmir, more than anywhere else in India and people come together to support the team, there is a real legacy here,” Ashraf said. The club told DW that the average attendance for last season was over 6,000, over three times higher than the league average.
“When the team plays, nobody cares about what else is going on, there is no thinking about violence or anything,” Mirza said. “We just want our team to win. You see the crowds are not just men and boys but there are girls and women there too, and old people. It gives people something to talk about and support. I hope we can keep going and getting better.”
Decades of instability left what facilities there were in the state almost unusable but the club’s growth as well as support from the government has helped to ensure that pitches are now in good condition and well-used. International and national sponsors — Adidas and Livpure, a drinking water provider — have also been involved.
Next steps
The challenge is to keep the momentum going and win a place in the Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s top tier. To get there and face the giant clubs from Kolkata, Mumbai, Kerala and elsewhere could be a game-changer.
“It would be the biggest thing that can happen, giving the chance to the youth to see the biggest ISL teams who would come and play here,” said Shawl. “It would open up a new chapter and be the greatest thing that can happen to Real Kashmir and the entire Jammu and Kashmir [area] as well.”
But Real Kashmir has never just been about results on the pitch. “This club started with a mission, not purely to play football but to get the boys out and allow them to play with the mainland and integrate,”” said Shawl. “Our front pages were about youth turning to violence. We wanted to bring that change.” And despite events of April, that is still the club’s enduring mission.
Edited by: Matt Pearson
