Bandipora: Kashmiri youth play cricket in snow-covered Gurez valley

According to the locals, the remote valley has a great potential for winter sports as it remains covered under heavy snow which the tourism and sports authorities have failed to recognise.

Bandipora: To attract the attention of higher authorities and the outside world for promoting winter sports, youth in the remote valley of Gurez have organised a snow cricket tournament on a frozen snowfield in Dawar village in Gurez sector of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district.

According to the locals, the remote valley has a great potential for winter sports as it remains covered under heavy snow which the tourism and sports authorities have failed to recognise.

"They said that when different winter sports can be organised in Gulmarg and other parts of country, why similar games can’t be held in Gurez during winter months as the area has great potential. The serene and mesmerizing beauty of this small valley, mostly during winters when it’s covered with heavy snow, attracts the attention of many,” said one of the players.

He said that the successive governments have failed to recognise the potential the Gurez valley has for winter sports. The residents said that the area lags far behind other parts of the state as it remains cut off from rest of the valley and outside world for about six months due to the closure of Bandipora-Gurez road during winter months.

"The closure is due to least importance paid towards this road, that is why we have been demanding a tunnel to provide round the year connectivity to this picturesque valley," a local resident said.

Locals said that youth have now turned to snow cricket at the foothills of famous Habba Khatoon peak to promote winter sports in Gurez and also beat the winter chill.

Locals said that during winter people of Gurez remain confined to their homes as they don’t have anything to do. "Had the authorities promoted this place as a winter destination and organised winter games, the area would get economically uplifted and it would also help the residents to overcome weather vagaries. The area has the potential for winter games like snow skiing, ice hockey and various other games," he said.