Srinagar Dec 15 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir will host the 10th National SnowShoe Championship 2026, with events scheduled at Sonamarg and Gulmarg, giving a major push to winter sports and adventure tourism in the Valley.
The announcement was made during a meeting chaired by Director Tourism Kashmir, Syed Qamar Sajad, with the J&K SnowShoe Association to discuss SnowShoe running activities planned for the upcoming winter season across Kashmir.
The delegation of the J&K SnowShoe Association was led by its President Tariq Ghani and included General Secretary Dr. Altaf ur Rehman and Senior Member Reyaz Wani. The meeting was also attended by Joint Director Tourism Waseem Raja, General Manager J&K Cable Car Corporation Reyaz Malik, Assistant Director Tourism Gulmarg Tahir Wani, Assistant Director Tourism Recreation Mudasir Tak, and adventure tourism expert Rauf Tramboo.
During the meeting, Tariq Ghani highlighted the potential of SnowShoe running as a winter sport and said it can play an important role in reviving winter tourism in Kashmir. He said the sport requires minimal infrastructure and affordable equipment and can be organized even in areas with limited snowfall.
He informed that the SnowShoe Federation of India has granted hosting rights of the 10th National SnowShoe Championship 2026 to Jammu and Kashmir and sought full support from the Tourism Department for organizing the championship and other SnowShoe events during the winter season.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelHe assured full technical and organizational support from the J&K SnowShoe Association.
While reviewing the proposal, Director Tourism Syed Qamar Sajad announced that the championship will be inaugurated at Sonamarg, while the closing ceremony will be held at Gulmarg. He directed officials to begin preparations immediately and to prepare a detailed calendar of winter sports activities.
The Director further said that SnowShoe events will be organized at Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Dodapathri, Yousmarg, and Sonamarg, and efforts will be made to include lesser-known destinations to promote winter tourism across the region.
Welcoming Syed Qamar Sajad as Director Tourism Kashmir, Tariq Ghani said he was confident that his leadership and interest in sports would help strengthen adventure and winter sports tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking on the occasion, Rauf Tramboo said SnowShoe is an important part of the winter sports ecosystem and has the potential to become a popular winter sport due to its low cost and minimal infrastructure requirements. He assured full support from the Winter Sports Association of J&K for the successful conduct of the events.
The initiative is expected to boost winter tourism, promote adventure sports, and create new opportunities for athletes and local communities across Jammu and Kashmir.(KNS)