Srinagar, Jul 24 (KNS): Ankit Love, son of late professor Bhim Singh, met National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and proposed developing Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as hosts for the 2046 Winter Olympic Games.
In a statement, Love said the region's Himalayan peaks could be transformed into eco-friendly ski resorts and winter sports infrastructure comparable to Switzerland and France.
He described the natural assets of the region as "worth trillions of dollars" and called for collective will to build world-class hotels and tourist towns.
The proposal includes attracting multi-billion-dollar foreign investments for ski villages, airport upgrades, luxury retail and advanced training facilities, Love said.
Love also said the infrastructure would serve as a permanent home base for the Indian Winter Olympics team and help the country emerge as a global medallist.
"India's rise to the top is inevitable with the right mindset, organisation and year-round winter sports training climate in J-K, besides a talent pool of 1.4 billion people," he said.
Notably, India has never hosted a Winter Olympics. The government has already identified Gulmarg as a Centre of Excellence for winter sports and has been conducting the Khelo India Winter Games there. (KNS)