Kinnaur: The throne for the highest ice skating rink in the world has been captured by Nako lake in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district. Amid an ongoing skating competition, organised by the Ice Skating Association of India, the lake, thanks to snowfall in the region, has now turned into a skating destination. The competition, under the joint collaboration of Himachal Ice Skating Association and Purgyul Ice Skating Association Nako, sees participation from 70 contenders representing 15 states of the country.
Confirming the newly achieved accolade for Nako lake, Himachal Ice Skating Association president Roshan Lal said, "At 12,000 feet, this is the highest natural skating rink anywhere in the world. The currently ongoing competition was backed majorly by the Skating Association of India". Meanwhile, the two-day event amid minus 18 degrees Celcius will end on Sunday, February 5.
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Meanwhile, in neighbouring Uttarakhand, the national-level Alpine Ski and Snowboard Championship will kick off on February 23. Although delayed by the land subsidence in Joshimath, a statement by Skiing and Snowboard Secretary Praveen Sharma, the competition will be held in Auli, a town connected to Joshimath by a long cable car.
With all preparations in place, the latter event is expected to witness a total of 48 teams from across the country to participate in the event. Located in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, Auli is renowned for its snow-clad peaks, its proximity to the Valley of Flowers National Park and the Badrinath temple, one of the four shrines in the Chardham Yatra.