Srinagar, Feb 14: The 10th National SnowShoe Championship commenced in Sonamarg on Saturday with a formal inauguration ceremony aimed at strengthening winter sports and positioning the region as a major winter tourism destination.
Director Tourism Kashmir, Syed Qamar Sajad, who was the chief guest on the occasion, described the championship as an important milestone in the long-term vision of developing Sonamarg into a prominent winter sports hub.
He said the participation of around 173 athletes from 20 states reflects the growing national footprint of the sport.
“It is encouraging to see such wide participation in Sonamarg. Events like these will give a significant push to winter tourism and establish the region as a premier winter sports destination,” he said.
Welcoming the participants, Sajad urged athletes to promote Kashmir as a safe and year-round tourist destination. He noted that the championship is being hosted in Sonamarg for the third consecutive year and added that SnowShoe racing does not require extensive infrastructure upgrades, making it accessible and sustainable.
He expressed satisfaction over the arrangements and said necessary directions had been issued to ensure smooth conduct of the event.
Among those present were Deputy Director Tourism (Recreation), CEO Sonamarg Development Authority Bilal Mukhtar, SDM Kangan, SHO Sonamarg, J&K SnowShoe Association President Tariq Ghani, Vice President Arif Laigaroo, General Secretary Dr Altaf-ur-Rehman and other officials.
On the opening day, athletes from Jammu & Kashmir delivered strong performances across multiple categories. In the Senior Men’s Long Distance event, Adil Rehman secured first place, followed by Abrar Wani of J&K and Akber Ali of Ladakh.
In the Senior Women’s Long Distance race, Dhanalakshmi of Karnataka finished first, with Shaista of J&K and Nusrat Sakeena of Ladakh taking second and third positions respectively.
In the Junior Boys’ Long Distance category, Zuhain Mushtaq of J&K clinched the top spot ahead of Muzamil Manzoor of J&K and Mohd Amin of Ladakh.
The Junior Girls’ Long Distance event saw Zareena Banoo of Ladakh finishing first, Lakshita of Haryana second and Ruqaya Banoo of Ladakh third.
J&K athletes continued their dominance in sprint events. Danish Gulbadan won the Senior Men’s 1500m sprint, while Mohd Jehangir of Ladakh and Sahil Bashir of J&K secured second and third places respectively.
In the Senior Women’s 800m sprint, Dhanalakshmi of Karnataka once again topped the podium, followed by Farahana Hamid and Musqan Bhat, both from J&K.
The Junior Boys’ 800m event was dominated by J&K, with Muzamil Manzoor finishing first, followed by Asif Teli and Amir Shabir. In the Junior Girls’ 800m race, Ruqaya Banoo of Ladakh secured first place, while Amal Kanth and Tamana Bilal, both from J&K, completed the podium.
The championship will continue over the coming days with more competitive events scheduled across categories.
