Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 18: A motorcycle and cycle rally carrying an anti-drug message rolled through Srinagar today as part of the build-up to the Khelo India Winter Games 2026, while in Sonamarg the inaugural Snow Sports Festival marked an expansion of winter sporting activities beyond Gulmarg.
The rally, flagged off from Bakshi Stadium, was the first major public outreach event ahead of the Games, scheduled to be held in Gulmarg from February 23 to 26.
Joint Director Tourism Wasim Raja, Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council Nuzhat Gul, and SP South Srinagar Shabir Khan flagged off the rally.
It brought together motorcyclists, cyclists, track athletes, martial artists, footballers and winter sport participants under the banner “Say No to Drugs.”
Officials said the initiative aimed to combine sports promotion with social awareness amid growing concerns over drug abuse among youth in Kashmir.
The rally passed through key routes, including Abdullah Bridge, drawing attention from commuters and shopkeepers as participants carried placards promoting a drug-free society.
Speakers highlighted the role of sports in steering young people away from substance abuse and encouraging discipline, fitness and constructive engagement.
The event showcased coordination between the Tourism Department, the J&K Sports Council and the police in using sport as a platform for social messaging ahead of the national-level winter games.
Meanwhile, in Sonamarg, the Snow Sports Festival turned the snow-covered meadow into a multi-sport venue, hosting football, kabaddi, tug-of-war and cricket competitions on snow.
Organised by the Department of Youth Services and Sports in collaboration with the J&K Sports Council, the festival was positioned as a precursor to the upcoming Games and an effort to diversify winter sports activities in the Union Territory.
While Gulmarg has hosted all previous editions of the Khelo India Winter Games and remains the main venue for competitive skiing and snowboarding, officials said the Sonamarg event signals a push to extend winter sports to other regions.
Students from the Government College of Physical Education, Ganderbal, participated in the competitions, marking one of the first organised multi-discipline sporting events on snow in the area.
Officials said that over the past five editions, Gulmarg has emerged as the country’s leading winter sports destination, with infrastructure and participation expanding alongside the Games.
With the 2026 edition set to begin later this month, authorities are projecting both the Srinagar rally and the Sonamarg festival as part of a broader strategy to promote sports participation, youth engagement and tourism across J&K.
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