Khelo India Winter Games: All you need to know about the mega event

Here's everything you need to know about Khelo India Winter Games-2020, which is being organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council while it is being sponsored by Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Hyderabad: Famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir is all set to host the second leg of the first ever Khelo India Winter Games-2020 that will see around 900 participants taking part in the national event, which will take place from March 7 to 11.

The five-day national winter games event is being organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council while it is being sponsored by Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The competition will be conducted at block, district and UT levels.

HISTORY OF KHELO INDIA WINTER GAMES

On February 25, 2020, the Minister of State (MoS) for Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju, inaugurated the first-ever Khelo India Winter Games at Leh in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

File image

The first leg of the event took place in Ladakh in the third week of February and included total of three winter sporting competitions – Open Ice Hockey Championship, Figure Skating, Speed Skating.

OBJECTIVE OF THE EVENT

Khelo India Winter Games, which is the first of its kind in the country, is being organised to promote winters sports in India and to popularise these games among the youth of the country. Also, the aim of the event is to produce numerous players from India who can make the nation proud by bagging medals at Winter Olympic Games, which is held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice.

Ice Hockey

While inaugurating the Winter Games, Rijiju said, “To channelize 20 percent share of youth energy of the world from India, the government is conducting University Games, Youth Games, and Winter Games for the first time under the Khelo India programme. So far, 15 thousand students have been identified and under training in various camps. From 7 March, Jammu & Kashmir Winter games will be conducted in Gulmarg, and I assure increase in funds for improving the standards and participation in the Winter Games.”

"We have included disciplines like Ice Hockey, Figure Skating, Speed Skating, that are part of Olympics, and with time we may also be able to produce champions in these disciplines in India," Rijiju added.

Kiren Rijiju with India Ice Hockey jersey

Also, the ultimate aim of Khelo India programme is to revive the sports culture in India at the grass-root level by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country and establish India as a great sporting nation.

NEW CHAPTER IN GULMARG

The second leg of Khelo India winter games will be held at Kongdori, Gulmarg from March 7 and it will have participants from across India competing in 30 events which include alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snow boarding, ski mountaineering, ice stock, snow rugby, snow baseball and snow shoeing events.

Details of Khelo India Winter games in Gulmarg

The inaugural function for the event will be held on March 07, 2020 and Jammu and Kashmir Government has made all preparations to rope in traditional folk dancers.

Munir-ul-Islam, who is the Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL), said that the centuries-old popular folk dance called Dhambali will be showcased during the event.

Besides Dhambali, Bhands would also be performing during the event in Gulmarg.

Bhand Pather is a form of theatre dance performed in Kashmir and it does not only include dance but also includes plays between dances that captivates the audience. It shows the lives, traditions and evils prevailing in the society.

ELIGIBILITY

The competitions will be held in four age categories for both boys and girls.

Ice skiing

Athletes in the age categories of 19-21 years, 17-18 years, 15-16 years and 13-14 years can compete in alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snow boarding and snowshoeing, while on the side-lines, snow cycling and other games will be held for the local children.

ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE

The J&K government is leaving no stone unturned to provide hassle-free facilities to players and other concerned.

Ice hockey team

Focus is on providing a facilitation centre, hospitality & protocol services, transportation, boarding and lodging, procurement of materials & equipment, technical requirements, press publicity, a cultural programme, food, maintenance of snow slopes, area domination, security, medical camps.

Crowd enjoying snow in Gulmarg

Also, Secretary Youth Services and Sports, Sarmad Hafeez recently reviewed arrangements for the mega event with concerned departments and stakeholders.

TACKLING CORONAVIRUS FEAR

The Winter games are being held at a time when the Union Government has issued advisories to avoid any social, political and religious gatherings as a preventive measure against the outbreak which has claimed over 3300 lives and infected over a lakh people worldwide.

However, the J&K administration claimed it has taken all precautionary measures to contain the spread.

As per an official, the Health Department will screen all players at the Airport and on the National Highway to check coronavirus symptoms. In case of any exigency, the department will initiate immediate measures in the particular case.

Also, there will be establishment of medical camps at various locations with doctors and other staff with medicine and ambulances.

MEGA EVENT

Rijiju said that Winter Games in Gulmarg will be the largest ever and of the highest standard and not only it will promote sports but also boost the economy of the hill states by promoting tourism.

File image of Kiren Rijiju

“We are organising the first-ever Winter Games in India and it will be held in Gulmarg and will be the largest ever and of the highest standard. This is going to be a milestone because we talk about the Summer Olympics, but we don’t talk about the Winter Olympics in India, but it is equally important, interesting and popular," Rijiju said.

"The entire Himalayan region is interested in taking part. It will be a cornerstone in the sporting history of India. Apart from promoting sports, it will also transform the economy of the hill states like Jammu & Kashmir because it will promote tourism,” he added.