Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 31: On the eve of New Year, the 12th National Skating Championship today began at world famous skiing resort Gulmarg in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
The Championship was inaugurated by Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Gulmarg, Mohammad Abbas Wani, in presence of Director Tourism Kashmir and other officials. The championship would see the participation of 150 athletes from 17 teams.
On 1st and 2nd January, there would be multiple events and the closing ceremony would also be conducted onJanuary 2nd while the athletes would start to leave on January 3.
The venue for the skating is ice skating rink near Gulmarg Gandola and the athletes hail from Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Assam, Telegana and Jammu and Kashmir.
Director Tourism Kashmir, Mehmood Ahmad Shah said the championship has been organized on New Year and it would give a boost to the tourism. “The most important thing about the championship is that it will give a boost to our tourism. Our 150 athletes are participating and they are being accompanied by their parents,” he said.
An athlete from Hyderabad, Aljen, said the Gulmarg is extremely beautiful place for practicing skating even as freezing cold makes it difficult. “It’s extremely cold here and we don’t experience such a cold or snow in Hyderabad. But the place is beautiful,” she added.
The athletes said the minus temperature doesn’t stop them from practicing as skating is their passion and they would overcome the cold.
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