The slopes of Solang valley near Manali, which are covered with three feet of snow, have come alive with nearly 200 athletes of the state who have thronged here for Himachal Skiing and Snowboarding Championships. The two-day-long men and women competitions in different categories started on Saturday amid snowfall. The event was inaugurated by BJP leader Dhaneshwari Thakur in the presence of many other officials. A large number of people thronged Solang to enjoy the races. The championships are being hosted by Himachal Pradesh Winter Games Association (HPWGA) under guidance of Ski and Snowboard India. The top athletes will qualify for national level championships that will be held at Auli from February 7 to 11. “Races in cross-country, cross-country sprint, slalom, and giant slalom are being conducted in both male and female categories. Athletes in both junior and senior categories are performing well. As not all athletes can represent state in national cup, we are choosing the best. Next time we are looking to host the national cup. As the skiing infrastructure is weak here, Himachal always misses in hosting Asian winter games,” HPWGA president Ludar Chand Thakur said. The officials said the state government has promised to develop the skiing infrastructure in the state which in present is in dilapidated condition. Without ski bar lifts, snow beating machines, snow-making machines and without leveling, the slopes of Narkanda and Kufri in Shimla and Solang in Manali disappoint the athletes. Although Solang slopes have hosted many national competitions, the bumpy slope with no facility makes skiing and snowboarding very challenging. Roopu Negi, secretary general of Ski and Snowboard India, the apex body for skiing and snowboarding in India, said the athletes are full of enthusiasm and are performing well. “Most of the athletes are complaining about basic amenities. Climbing up
The slopes of Solang valley near Manali, which are covered with three feet of snow, have come alive with nearly 200 athletes of the state who have thronged here for Himachal Skiing and Snowboarding Championships. The two-day-long men and women competitions in different categories started on Saturday amid snowfall. The event was inaugurated by BJP
With participation of nearly 100 skiers from Himachal, Uttarakhand, J&K, Delhi and Indian Army, the National Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding Championships kick started on Solang slopes of Manali amid heavy snowfall on Friday. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has granted permission for the championships in Manali after many years. The slopes here are covered with over 100cm of snow while more snow is falling. The competitions started after march past. A huge crowd thronged Solang to witness the competitions. Competitive races will start from February 2. The top performing athletes would be chosen for international tournaments. “We are happy that we got chance to host the event,” Himachal Pradesh Winter Games Association (HPWGA) president Roop Chand Negi said. He said the championships are being organized by HPWGA, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) and Winter Carnival Committee under the aegis of IOA. “The competitions will commence five categories -- slalom, joint slalom, ski cross, snowboarding slalom and snowboard cross. Both men and women athletes are participating,” he said. ABVIMAS joint director Ashwani Kumar said a large number of staff and volunteers are taking care of the event to make it successful. “National Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding Championships are being organized at par with international standards. Minimum age of the participants was fixed at 16. IOA convener Rakesh Sharma is present at Solang to observe every activity,” he added. Besides individual entries, teams of HPWGA, J&K, Uttarakhand, Army Sports Control Board and Delhi Ski Association are taking part in the championships. The athletes were full of enthusiasm and happy with quality of the snow. However, they were disappointed with weak infrastructure at the slope, including unavailability of snow beating machine. Arif Khan, a senior athlete from team J&K who has competed in many international events, said his
With participation of nearly 100 skiers from Himachal, Uttarakhand, J&K, Delhi and Indian Army, the National Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding Championships kick started on Solang slopes of Manali amid heavy snowfall on Friday. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has granted permission for the championships in Manali after many years. The slopes here are covered with
