Sonamarg to host 9th National Snow Shoe C’ship

Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 14: The Department of Tourism, Kashmir, in collaboration with the J&K Snow Shoe Association, is set to host the 9th National Snow Shoe Championship in Sonamarg on February 17 and 18. This event marks the second time Sonamarg will host a National winter sports competition, following the success of the 8th National Snow Shoe Championship last year. Additionally, it will be the first major winter sports event in the area since the opening of the Z-Morh Tunnel.
The event was initially planned for Gulmarg, but due to a vision from Director Tourism Kashmir, Raja Yaqoob Farooq, the venue was shifted to Sonamarg to promote the region as a new winter sports hub. The championship will feature around 110 athletes from 15-17 states and Union Territories, including J&K, Ladakh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and others.
Despite a lack of sufficient snowfall this season, Snow Shoe events are expected to proceed as planned, as the sport requires minimal infrastructure and is less dependent on weather conditions. The Snow Shoe Federation of India sees this as a significant opportunity to boost tourism in Kashmir, with the potential to offer Snow Shoe rentals to tourists and encourage winter tourism across the region.

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