‘Development, confidence flowing from Valley’
Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Feb 26: Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today said Jammu and Kashmir is undergoing a major transformation, asserting that a region once known for stone-pelting incidents is now gaining recognition for its growing sports culture and youth participation in national events.
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Addressing the concluding ceremony of the Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg, Mandaviya said, “There was a time when this Valley used to be in the headlines for stone pelting. But today, this Valley is known for skiing and snowboarding.”
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Referring to the abrogation of Article 370, he said, “After 370, new streams of development and confidence are flowing from this valley. Tomorrow’s newspapers will not write about security, but about sports sensations.”
The Minister said that athletes from 25 States participated in the sixth edition of the Games, with over 900 athletes competing across six winter sports disciplines.
“There was a time when it was a big challenge to sit here and address a gathering. Today, athletes from 25 states are playing here. The youth athletes of Kashmir are showing their quality,” he said.
Mandaviya said the Centre aims to develop Gulmarg into a world-class winter sports hub. “When I last came here, I said I would wait and see. I waited, and my confidence increased. We will establish Gulmarg as a world-class centre for winter games,” he said.
Highlighting the Government’s broader sporting vision, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for hosting the Olympics in India in 2036 and aims to make the country one of the top five sporting nations by 2047, when India marks 100 years of independence.
“Sports unites society. It builds sportsmanship and harmony. It teaches how to win and how to lose,” Mandaviya said.
He announced that future winter games in Jammu and Kashmir would be expanded into a 15-day programme integrating sports with tourism and cultural activities.
“This will become an ecosystem of winter games and a medium to develop tourism in J&K,” he said, adding that wider public participation would help establish the region as a world-class winter destination.
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