The second edition of ‘Khelo India Winter Games’ will start from February 26 and culminate on March 2 in J&K’s winter destination of Gulmarg.
Around 1200 athletes and guests from across the country are scheduled to participate in the event.
The mega sports event is one of the many efforts aimed at engaging the youth in positive and constructive activities. Athletes from 27 states and Union Territories (UTs) will converge on the snow-bound slopes of Gulmarg during the event to compete in different categories of sports.
The prominent sports activities, which will be the hallmark of the winter games, include snow shoe race, ice skating, ice hockey, skiing, Nordic ski, snowboarding, ski mountaineering and ice stock etc.
Athletes from the Indian Army and the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports will also participate in the event, besides the athletes from different states and UTs.
On the occasion, a number of cultural programmes shall also be organized, besides setting up of stalls of ethnic food and local crafts.
The event is being organised by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the J&K Sports Council and the Winter Games Association of J&K.
The J&K administration has made all arrangements and put in place all facilities in advance. A special team of doctors and ambulances have been directed to be kept available round the clock. A special team of the State Disaster Response Fund shall remain deployed for relief and rescue operations.
In this regard, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla, Mohammad AijazAsad on Wednesday visited Gulmarg to oversee the arrangements.
DC conducted on-spot inspection of the venue to ensure that directions imparted by the higher authorities are implemented in letter and spirit.
He took first hand appraisal of various amenities required for smooth conduct of the event including electricity and water supply, Sanitation and compliance to Covid protocol.