Early Times Report
GULMARG, Feb 17: The picturesque winter wonderland of Gulmarg will be buzzing with sporting action when the second leg of the Khelo India Winter Games, brings together around 400 athletes from across the country from February 23 to 26.
Four medal events - ski mountaineering, Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing (cross-country), and snowboarding - will see competitors from places like Ambala, Hyderabad, Indore, Pune, and Madhya Pradesh testing their skills nearly 8,700 feet above sea level, taking on the challenges of the altitude head-on.
The first leg of the event was held in Leh last month.
Describing the challenges of the upper slopes near Kongdoori, ski exponent from Jammu, Ankush Bazala says competing at such high altitude tests the nerves, patience, and physical endurance of athletes.
"You don't just train your legs here; you train your lungs, your nerves, your patience. Gulmarg pushes you to be better," says Bazala.
Kanika Shan, also from Jammu, says the exposure of athletes to the icy slopes here has transformed the landscape of winter sports in the country.
"This platform (has) changed winter sports (in the country)," she says.
"Before Khelo India, you felt invisible. Now you feel recognised," adds Shan, as she practices edge-control drills and studies footage on her phone, examining her body position frame by frame.
In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the Khelo India Winter Games as a "symbol of a new sporting confidence," evident in the rapid strides athletes from 36 states and Union Territories are making thanks to the platform. |
