Ganderbal, Feb 14: In a significant move to position Sonamarg as the next premier winter sports destination in the country, the Department of Tourism, Kashmir, in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir SnowShoe Association, is gearing up to host the 9th National SnowShoe Championship on February 17 and 18.
This marks the second time Sonamarg will host a national-level winter sports event, following the successful organization of the 8th National SnowShoe Championship last year.
Notably, this will be the first major winter sport event in Sonamarg since the opening of the So-namarg Tunnel, which has significantly improved accessibility to the region. The championship was initially planned to be held in Gulmarg, but the Department of Tourism, Kashmir, emphasised shifting the event to Sonamarg to promote the area as a burgeoning winter sport hub.
Dr. Altaf ur Rehman, General Secretary of the J&K SnowShoe Association, stated, “The 9th National SnowShoe Championship will be held in Sonamarg on February 17 and 18. Director Tourism Kash-mir, Raja Yaqoob Farooq, is keen on promoting other tourist destinations in Kashmir as winter sports hubs. With the department’s full support, we swiftly moved the event to Sonamarg and are fully prepared to host it.”
The championship is expected to witness the participation of around 110 athletes representing 15-17 states and union territories, including Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Pondicherry, and Kerala. To ensure the smooth execution of the event, the J&K SnowShoe Associa-tion held a review meeting with the Sonamarg Development Authority (SDA), and Basharat Ahmad, Tourist Officer of Sonamarg, on Thursday. Dr. Altaf shared, “The CEO of SDA has assured full support and coordination to make this event a success. He has also encouraged local stakeholders to partici-pate, as this event will help establish Sonamarg as the next winter sports hub in the country.”
Despite the challenges posed by insufficient snowfall this season, snowshoeing remains one of the few winter sport activities that require minimal infrastructure and are less affected by environmental changes. Mir Muddasir, President of the SnowShoe Federation of India, highlighted the dual focus of the event: promoting both tourism and sport.
“Snowshoeing is more of a tourism activity than a sport. While we are promoting it as a sport, it has immense potential as a tourist activity. It involves running or walking on snow and requires no prior training—just a few inches of snow and snowshoes. In European countries, snowshoeing is gaining popularity, and we should explore its potential to boost winter tourism in Kashmir. The Tourism De-partment should encourage hotels and shops to offer snowshoes on rent, which could transform the tourism scenario in the region,” Muddasir explained.
He added, “Apart from tourism, we are also focused on promoting snowshoeing as a sport. This is why it is the fastest-growing winter sport in India, with athletes from plains and coastal areas joining in large numbers.”
The athletes are scheduled to arrive in Kashmir on February 16, with the inauguration ceremony set for February 17 and the closing ceremony on February 18. The event is expected to not only show-case the sporting talent of the participants but also highlight Sonamarg’s potential as a top winter sport destination, further boosting tourism in the region.
