Buoyed by its successful record of hosting four national winter games, Kashmir’s snow-capped town of Gulmarg is vying to become the venue for international events such as the Asian Games this year. It also hopes to offer its powdery slopes as training venue to groom athletes for ski mountaineering, a sport that will make its debut in the 2026 Olympics in Italy.
Gulmarg’s snow meadows, first discovered by Sultan Yusuf Shah in the 16th century, have ski slopes at 2,730 metres above sea-level. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has now started the spade work to see Gulmarg become an international venue for the Asian Games and the Olympics., working on an international certification for its slopes, which are covered with the rare powdery snow considered essential for professional skiing.
“We have proposed it to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (also known as FIS). The Gulmarg slopes need to be certified using international standards. Engaging the right people with technical knowledge can enable Gulmarg to host international events,” Olympian Shiva Keshavan, the founder-president of the Olympians Association of India (OAI), told The Hindu.
