Ready for the leap

Anjali Nauriyal

Project SAF Winter Games has proved a huge hit and all those involved with its planning and execution are smiling. Uttarakhand now has an incredible winter sports destination for all times and its sportspersons are waiting to make a mark in the international sporting arena.

And the medals haul has already begun, with India winning all the gold, silver and bronze in the speed skating events at SAF Games. In the men's category Subodh Patil, Mushtaq Ahmed and Lavish Vaidya bagged the first three positions, respectively, in the speed ice skating while in the 1500 m speed ice skating Subodh Patil, Harshit Bhosle and Mushtaq won the first three medals. In the women's 500 speed skating, Shruti Kotwal, Sonam Tismo and Rinchen Dolma won the gold, silver and bronze, respectively. If no medal came in, in figure skating, then it was because it was declared a non-competitive event as no player from any other country chipped in.

An effect of SAF Games was the enhancing of the image and position of Auli as a destination for adventure and entertainment. The people of the state had hoped that post the big event, Auli would become a destination of the East for skiing and Dehradun for ice skating. Going by the things, it appears that the long-cherished dream of the people has finally been realized.

"And what an opportunity!" exclaims Kedar Singh Fonia, local MLA and former Minister as he adds, "Except for Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, no other SAF country has snow at home. The elite from countries like Sri Lanka, Maldives and others go to Europe to experience snow games. A successful SAF Games can divert their attention towards next door Auli at much less cost." Reacting to the observation that Auli may have been recognized as an international ski resort, but it is still not yet a full-fledged ski resort, Fonia comments, "What we need to do now is to extend Auli further so that it becomes fit for cross country races. Events like Super G, Down Hill and Free Skiing, cannot be held here. Having spent so much on the project, why should it be left halfway when not much investment will now be required? We are lucky that the Winter Games Federation of India (WGFI) was headed by one Uttarakhandi and now another Uttarakhandi has taken it over. With the state-of-the-art infrastructure now made available within the state, Uttarakhand is bound to become the hub of winter games in South Asia. I feel also feel that WGFI should be headquartered in Uttarakhand."

Asked whether other places such as Dayaara Bugyal need to be included in the skiing loop, Fonia states, "Dayaara is also ok, but it is advisable to first concentrate and focus on developing one destination. One cannot spill one's energy everywhere."

Experts reiterate that the doors are now open for many more similar events in the future that are bound to catapult the state into one of the hottest sporting destinations of the world. Kiran Bhatt, a sports enthusiast with her own rafting enterprise in Shivpuri, avers, "The SAF Games were a privilege for the state. In future, we hope to host more such events at an international level. This will also boost tourism. Our state has immense potential for a lot of adventure sports. If this ice skating rink continues, we would like to float year-long packages for tourists."

The people of Uttarkashi have been demanding the creation of skiing facilities in their vicinity for long. Speaking on behalf of the people of Uttarkashi, Major R.S. Jamnal, who is endeavouring to promote the district on many counts, points out, "Dayara Bugyal and Auli together can offer a wonderful sporting experience. Dayara has 13 kilometers of ski-slopes. Already the first Asia Cup in Artificial Wall Climbing and 13th National Games were held here at NIM(NIM). “