Wafa Tariq, an ice skater from Srinagarstarted participating in the sportin 2014. Initially, she started with roller skating and later switched to ice skating.
In 2015 she participated in the 12th National Ice Skating Championship in speed skating and figure skating in Gulmarg.In 2017, she participated in Snow Carnival in Gulmarg and won gold medal in speed skating and figure skating.
Unlike skiing, ice skating is done standing on blades, fitted beneath the shoes. It may be performed on naturally frozen bodies of water, such as ponds, lakes, canals, and rivers, and on man-made ice surfaces both indoors and outdoors.
In Kashmir majority of the winter sports events or activities are held in Gulmarg, a hill station and India’s premier ski resort located 56 km southwest of Srinagar.
Hailing from HMT area of Srinagar,the 19 year old athlete won gold in First Khaelo India competition held in 2020. She also participated in the second Khaelo India competition in 2021.
“The Ice Skating Association of Jammu and Kashmir encourage us all lot to take part in the game despite the fact that ice skating is a risky game. I take part in it with enthusiasm,” she said.
Another ice skating player from Srinagar, Shifa first took part in the game in 2019 and same year she participated in National Championshipat the ski resort, Gulmarg. Since then she has not looked back and thrived in the same.
She participated in the First Khaelo India Competition in Gulmarg and won bronze medal in speed skating. She also participated in the second Khaelo India competition.She has also won bronze medal in First Sheh-re-Khas competition.
The 16 year old athlete, Shifa believes that girls should come forward and take part in this game. “It is a unique sport and so far less number of girls are into this game.”
Basharat Ahad Mir, first international ice skater of J&K represented India in 2019 in the International Skating Union (ISU) trophy in Belarus, Europe where he won the trophy.
A resident of Parimpora, Srinagar, he started ice skating when he was just 9-year-old and since then he did not looked back. He has participatedeight times at national level championships.
“I used to practice even during the dead of night at Gulmarg since childhood. I never lost confidence despite the difficulties that I faced and continued to work hard,” he said, adding “I want to become an Olympian so that I can make my motherland proud,” he said.
Basharat, who is also a professional cyclist, skier, roller skater and long-distance runner said, ice skating has a good scope at the national and international level.
He believes that there is a need to develop the infrastructure in Kashmir which will attract more youth towards the sport.
“There should be more ice skating rinks as many youth are enthusiastic to take part in ice skating. Due to lack of ice skating rinks many youth are seen practicing on roads,” he said.
Basharat said that Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Leh and Kargil are the best places for Ice Skating in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
According to him, “Ashraf Dijoo, National Coach, has contributed a lot for ice skating and has set up the base of ice skating in Kashmir.”
Over the years, many youth like Basharat have involved in ice skating and have shined at national and international events despite limited infrastructure locally.
Another ice skater,Adeeb Ahmad Waniwon gold medal in national men’s category in 500 meter short trek and silver in 1,000 meter in the same category held in Gulmarg in 2019. In 2020, he represented India at international competition in ice skating in Singapore.
“During my childhood, I saw some children in my neighborhood doing ice skating and I also developed interest in it,” the 19-year-old athlete said, adding “There is no dearth of talent in Kashmir. We have such a vast natural resource in Kashmir which is not there in other parts of the country.”
Notably, in roller skating also, he has played eight nationals in Delhi, Chhattisgarh and other places.
Frozen rivers and rivulets in winter present immense scopes for adventure tourism in Kashmir of which ice skating is one of its kind. At the outdoor skating rink, skating lovers can assemble to either participate in the regional and national level competition or simply enjoy some fun times.
Ashraf Dijoo, National Coach and General Secretary Ice Skating Association of Jammu and Kashmir said ice skating was started in Gulmarg when he was a young skiing player.
“The first winter game was organized in Gulmarg in 1998. Then all winter games were organized under one umbrella. However, in 2002, separate associations for ice skating and ice hockey were established,” he said.
However, for Ice skating and ice hockey buffs, there is an Ice Skating Rink right at the heart of Gulmarg town near the cable car station at Alambal, which is the coldest place where the temperature dips to minus 20 in winter months.
“We have been organizing ice skating, ice hockey events at the rink. The Tourism Department has played a vital role in organizing and promoting the winter games at the ski resort,” he said.
Notably, in 2002, Dijoo represented India in Japan in ice hockey and ice skating. Later, he did a skiing instructor course in Japan.
In 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2017 national level games were held in Gulmarg ski resort only. There are some 300 ice skating players, both boys and girls, are registered with Ice Skating Association of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
Dijoo said recently they have also sent a boys team from Kashmir to take part in nationals in Delhi that would be held in the first week of January.
Currently, there is only one ice skating rink in Gulmarg and the tourism department is constructing another rink at Sonmarg and planning to construct another at Pahalgam.“This year the ice skating events for district, state and nationals will be held in coming months in Gulmarg,” he said.
