Excelsior Sports Correspondent
GULMARG, Mar 29: The four day long National Nordic Ski Championship for men and women kick started here at famous Ski Resort, here today.
The Championship was inaugurated by Commandant High Altitude Warfare School in the presence of President WGFI Col JS Dhillon.
The athletes representing different affiliated units of Winter Games Federation of India including J&K, Punjab, Delhi, HAWS and Army etc, are taking part in the Championship.
J&K contingent consists of 2 female skiers Miss Sana Mir and Miss Nighat Sofi and 9 male skiers Bilal Ganei, Bilal Sheikh, Syed Qasim, Hilal Ahmad, Faizan Maqbool, Tahir Ahmad, Syed Ishfaq, Chandanpal Singh and Daim Shah. The events for the competition are 5km and 10 Kms for women and 10 Kms, 15 Kms, 30 kms and 1.4/1.6 kms for men. The Championship is organized by Winter Games Federation of India in association with HAWS, Winter Games Association of J&K, Tourism Deptt and Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering.
Meanwhile, the Winter Games Association of J&K is all set to host the National Junior Alpine Ski Championship to be held at Gulmarg from 10th to 15th April and State Winter Games from April 1 to April 3, 2017.
The Association has already selected the state contingent comprising of 39 skiers for nationals. The competitions will be held in four different age groups. The selected skiers have been advised to contact the WGAJK immediately. Holding championships in late March and April will help to prolong skiing season at Gulmarg, said Muhammad Yusuf, General Secretary WGAJK.