Sports Minister announces plans of converting Gulmarg into centre of excellence for winter sports
Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, announced plans to transform Gulmarg into a premier winter sports hub during the closing ceremony of the fifth edition of Khelo India Winter Games at the Golf Club, here on Wednesday.
Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, announced plans to transform Gulmarg into a premier winter sports hub during the closing ceremony of the fifth edition of Khelo India Winter Games at the Golf Club, here on Wednesday.
He emphasized the government’s commitment to providing top-tier infrastructure and opportunities for Jammu & Kashmir’s youth. Mandaviya also outlined a national strategy to nurture young athletes.
“The Indian government has a responsibility of developing sports across the country and the government will put in all efforts to help elevate the level of sports in Jammu & Kashmir. We plan to create a sporting hub for winter sports here in Gulmarg to give the youth the best opportunity and infrastructure to excel in sports. We are thinking positively about building a center of excellence for winter sports in Gulmarg,” said Mandaviya during his closing ceremony address.
“India has got immense talent and we have to find and nurture it from 9 years to 24 years. To be able to do this, we have to create a sports school at each district across the sub-continent, where raw talent will be scouted and then trained at the National Centres of Excellence across the country. We will ensure that they can compete at national and international level with all the support these youngsters require,” he added.
He praised Jammu & Kashmir’s coaching programs and urged other states to adopt their model.
“Jammu & Kashmir is already organising one of the best upskilling of coaches’ programmes among all Indian States. I have conveyed to all States to follow the coaching model created by Jammu & Kashmir,” the minister opined.
Mandaviya detailed efforts to develop a comprehensive roadmap for hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics, including consultations with several stakeholders from across the country.
“Keeping in mind that India wants to host the 2036 Olympic Games, we have to develop a robust sports infrastructure and a quality sports ecosystem. For this we will have to create a proper roadmap. Many times we set a goal, but the pathway required to reach there is missing. For this we had a three-day brainstorming session with the sports ministers of 28 States and 8 Union Territories, senior representatives of National Sports Federations, renowned athletes and sports experts in Hyderabad last week. We created a roadmap for the next 10 years with the inputs we received from all stakeholders,” he said.
According to the minister, Gulmarg has transitioned from simply being the ‘meadow of flowers’ to India’s Winter Games hub.
“I have visited many foreign countries and skiing destinations, but I can tell you that Gulmarg is way better, way beautiful and one of the world’s best tourist and skiing destinations. We just have to use opportunities to make the destination even better,” he said.
The minister congratulated all the 750 plus athletes who participated in the KIWG 2025 over the two legs (Ladakh and Gulmarg) and reiterated the transformative nature of sports, where every athlete gains from the experience regardless of the result.
Sportstar