Gulmarg, Mar 12: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah emphasised the urgent need for significant improvements in Jammu and Kashmir’s winter sports infrastructure and coaching to elevate the region’s performance in national and international competitions.
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who was the chief guest on the occasion, also addressed the concluding function of the Khelo India Winter Games 2025 held in Gulmarg.
Speaking about Gulmarg’s potential, Dr. Mandaviya said, “Gulmarg is not just a meadow of flowers anymore; it has now become India’s Winter Games city. I have visited several skiing des-tinations around the world, but I can confidently say that Gulmarg is far superior and one of the best skiing and tourist destinations globally. We just need to leverage the opportunities here to make it even better.”
Speaking at the conclusion of the 5th Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg on Wednesday, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reflected on the region’s historical connection to skiing, acknowl-edging that despite J&K being the birthplace of skiing in India, it remains far behind other re-gions in the national rankings.
“We need to enhance coaching so that by next year’s Khelo India Winter Games, J&K can be among the top performers,” he said, pointing out that much-needed upgrades in infrastructure and training facilities are crucial to improving the performance of local athletes.
Addressing the challenge of unpredictable snowfall due to changing weather patterns, Omar Ab-dullah outlined his vision to ensure an early start to the skiing season. He announced plans to in-troduce eco-friendly artificial snow production in Gulmarg from this year, aiming to have skiing courses ready by December. “This will allow us to begin skiing activities well before the usual snowfalls arrive in February, ensuring that events like the Khelo India Winter Games can be held on time,” he said.
The Chief Minister also expressed disappointment that Jammu and Kashmir has yet to establish a Center of Excellence in sports, unlike regions such as Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Arunachal Pradesh. “Despite being the birthplace of skiing, we have not seen similar progress in infrastruc-ture and coaching, which has affected our overall performance,” he added.
Omar Abdullah’s vision is clear: to position Gulmarg as a world-class skiing hub that can com-pete with international skiing destinations. He pointed to countries like Uzbekistan, which have developed advanced skiing infrastructure, attracting global ski tourists. “We must continue de-veloping Gulmarg to remain competitive and draw winter sports enthusiasts from around the world,” he stressed.
Reflecting on the success of the second phase of the 5th Khelo India Winter Games, held despite earlier weather concerns, Omar Abdullah expressed his gratitude to all participants and organiz-ers. “It seemed impossible initially due to weather challenges, but the recent snowfall allowed us to hold the event at just the right time,” he said, congratulating top performers from the Army, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh while acknowledging J&K’s struggle to rank among the top.
He shared a personal anecdote from his childhood, recalling how skiing season in Gulmarg used to start in December and last until March. “When I was a child, the ski season would begin in December, and the snow would last until March. Now, snowfall is scarce in December and Janu-ary, and temperatures only drop when the snow arrives in February,” he said. This shift in weath-er patterns has been a major challenge for skiing events, and he hopes the introduction of artifi-cial snow will help mitigate the impact.
He reiterated the need to improve coaching systems and infrastructure to achieve better results in future editions of the Games. “Next year, we should aim for the top positions in the Khelo India Winter Games,” he emphasized.
In addition, Omar Abdullah welcomed the establishment of a Winter Sports Center of Excel-lence in Gulmarg, noting that while the region is often referred to as the “winter capital of India,” significant global advancements in winter sports infrastructure must be matched. “We need to upgrade our facilities to meet international standards,” he asserted.
The CM also highlighted the potential of the recent Sonamarg Tunnel project inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling it a game-changer for tourism and winter sports. He shared his vision to develop Sonamarg as another prime skiing destination, capitalizing on its nat-ural beauty and terrain to attract international tourists and skiers.
Omar Abdullah’s commitment to expanding sports infrastructure goes beyond winter sports. “Emerging sports like pickleball are gaining popularity and require minimal space. We must diver-sify our sports facilities to engage the youth and keep them away from anti-social activities,” he suggested, further emphasizing the need for widespread infrastructure investment across the re-gion.
The Chief Minister also shared that Sports Minister Satish Sharma had been assured by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya that further improvements in infrastructure are on the way. “We are committed to bringing transformative change to the sports sector over the next four and a half years,” he said.
In conclusion, Omar Abdullah extended an invitation to Union Sports Minister Mansukh Man-daviya to visit Gulmarg and other tourist destinations in Jammu and Kashmir. He also praised the athletes for their dedication, despite the short notice for the commencement of the 5th Khelo In-dia Winter Games.
Minister for Youth Services and Sports, Satish Sharma, echoed the CM’s sentiments, stating that hosting the Khelo India Winter Games aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for sports development in the region. “We must improve infrastructure to ensure a seamless experi-ence for athletes and officials,” he said.
MLA Gulmarg Farooq Ahmad Shah highlighted the economic po-tential of upgrading skiing infrastructure.
“Kashmir can be the Switzerland of Asia. Gulmarg has the poten-tial to attract lakhs of tourists. However, this resort needs at least 10 chairlifts for the skiers. If we upgrade the skiing infrastructure in Gul-marg and Kongdoori, we can attract lakhs of skiers, and our country can earn huge foreign exchange.”
The event witnessed presence of Nasir Aslam Wani, Advisor to the Chief Minister; Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Sarmad Hafiz, Commis-sioner of Youth Services & Sports; Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir; Minga Sherpa, Deputy Commissioner, Baram-ulla; and Nuzhat Gul, Secretary, J&K Sports
