Chairs closing ceremony of Nat’l SnowShoe Coaching Camp
Srinagar, Oct 09: Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar Dr GV Sundeep Chakravarthy (IPS) on Friday chaired the closing ceremony of the National SnowShoe Coaching Camp-2026 at Hotel Radisson Collection, Riverfront, Srinagar.
The camp was organised by the J&K SnowShoe Association under the aegis of the SnowShoe Federation of India (SSFI) as part of preparations for the World SnowShoe Championship-2027, scheduled to be held in Italy on January 5, 2027.
The coaching camp brought together shortlisted athletes from several parts of the country, including Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, Punjab and Rajasthan, along with shortlisted athletes from Jammu and Kashmir. The athletes from outside J&K were selected on the basis of their performances at the 10th National SnowShoe Championship, held at Sonamarg during the previous winter season.
During the camp, the athletes received specialised training from NIS-qualified coach Tahir Mir, who has been assigned to coach the Indian contingent for the World Championship. International SnowShoe athlete Muzamil Mir was also part of the training programme.
Dr Sundeep Chakravarthy was welcomed by J&K SnowShoe Association President Tariq Ghani, Vice President Arif Laigaroo, SSFI Vice President Harish Kumar and J&K SnowShoe Association Vice President Advocate Suhaib Mir.
Dr Meena Sharma, Member of the Delhi State Legal Services Authority, General Secretary J&K SnowShoe Association Dr Altaf ur Rehman, Chamber and Commerce officials, and association members Reyaz Wani, Tahir Mir and Gulzar Khan were among those present.
Addressing the gathering, J&K SnowShoe Association President Tariq Ghani welcomed the chief guest and appreciated his presence and encouragement for the athletes preparing for the international event.
Ghani said it was encouraging to see Dr Chakravarthy motivate young athletes at a crucial stage of their preparations for the World Championship. He also congratulated the SSP on the recent success of Srinagar Police in busting a major narcotics network, describing him as a sports-loving officer who recognises the importance of sports in engaging youth positively.
J&K SnowShoe Association Vice President Arif Laigaroo also appreciated Dr Chakravarthy’s contribution to sports promotion, stating that his encouragement for athletes and support for extracurricular activities reflected his belief in using sports as a means to combat drug abuse and other social evils.
Welcoming the athletes from outside Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Chakravarthy said he was pleased to see young sportspersons from different parts of the country training alongside local athletes in Srinagar.
“You are our guests, and I am happy to see young athletes from outside J&K joining our athletes for this camp being held in preparation for the World Championship,” he said.
Referring to SnowShoe running as a demanding endurance sport, the SSP said he had witnessed SnowShoe athletes in Andhra Pradesh and understood the level of fitness, effort and dedication required to excel in the discipline.
He emphasised that sports played an important role in keeping young people physically fit, disciplined and away from drugs and other harmful influences.
Dr Chakravarthy wished the athletes success in their preparations and expressed hope that the Indian contingent would bring laurels to the country at the World SnowShoe Championship-2027 in Italy.
During the closing ceremony, certificates of appreciation were presented to athletes who had travelled from outside Jammu and Kashmir to attend the camp.
Awards of honour were also presented to individuals in recognition of their contributions and achievements. The recipients included coach Tahir Mir for his role in preparing the Indian team for Italy; international SnowShoe athlete Muzamil Mir; long-distance runner Zahid Rafiq Kota for documenting 200 alpine lakes across Kashmir and Ladakh; veteran watersports and survival expert Reyaz Wani; veteran Srinagar athlete Mushtaq; Gurdeep Khokhar, Secretary of the Chandigarh Association; Amit, Secretary of the Delhi Association; and Diphi Jain, an official from Haryana.
The camp marked an important phase in India’s preparations for the World SnowShoe Championship-2027, with athletes from different states training alongside their counterparts from Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the international competition in Italy.
