Aegis Gulmarg Global Derby concludes in Gulmarg

Only Race Of Its Kind In Himalayas: Official

ABID KHAN

Gulmarg, Mar 3: The international skiing event, 2nd Gulmarg Global Derby concluded at Kongdoori in Gulmarg on Tuesday.The final day of the event saw players competing in skiing and snowboarding.The secretary winter games federation of India, R K Gupta, was the chief guest.The first prize in skiing competition was bagged by Mushtaq Ahmad Magray of J&K team, while second and third position was secured by Stanzen Faknoor and Rengchan Dawa of High Altitude Warfare School, India respectively. In Boarding competition, Tim Rees of Wales, Kiril Ivavov Stoynov of Bulgaria and Niel Rullen Mead of Australia took first, second and third berths respectively.Around 40 foreign skiers took part in the competitions. Apart from them national and local participants also participated in the event. The Kashmir University had also fielded its five skiers in the event.Later, Gupta and director tourism, Farooq Ahmad Shah gave away the prizes and medals to the winners.The competition is a brainchild of Winter Games Federation of India, member and owner of Pine Palace Resort Gulmarg, Mir Mudasir who started this event in 2008 to put Gulmarg on the map of international ski circuit.In 2008, he started the event with the name of Gulmarg Global derby, which was freestyle ski run from top of 13500 ft high Apharwat Mountain. In its inaugural year the competition attracted 53 skiers from different parts of world. Quoseoyianyi Norbert of Hangary emerged winner in ski run with the timing of 07:30:01 while as in Snow Boarding it was Carolin of South Africa.Mudasir says that holding of Gulmarg Global Derby annually will help Gulmarg to gets its recognition at international arena.“We have always believed that Gulmarg has got huge potential for international skiing. But only thing needed for that is promotion and that too event based promotion. The annual sports event has always helped states and countries in their promotion. Tour-de France, New-York marathon, Mumbai marathon, Delhi marathon have put their respective countries and states on global sports map. Similarly if we make this event a regular one it will help Gulmarg to get on global ski map.”Mudasir said that Gulmarg is the only ski resort in India were this type of long free run can be held as the slopes in other resorts like Himachal Pradesh are nothing in front of it.“Gulmarg is the only ski destination in country were such long freestyle down run race cane be held. The racecourse from Apharwat to Gulmarg is of about 5-kilometers which is unparallel in any part of country. God has given us this facility and we should promote it in big way” he said. “If we succeeded in organizing this event annually it will put Gulmarg automatically on world sports map.”He said that WGFI is doing everything to make a Gulmarg an international ski resort and they are even promoting it in their annual congresses.“Last year WGFI promoted this event in annual congress meeting of International Ski Federation in South Africa which was attended by delegates from about 100 countries. They even included the event in their annual bulletin, which is matter of pride for us” he said.He termed Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah as the ski ambassador of state for his courage and enthusiasm to ski down from Gulmarg heights without any security.“What else we need if our chief minster is himself taking ski ride without any security cover. By that he made statement that Gulmarg is safe for skiing and no one should feel scared to come here” he said.The WGFI member was all praise for tourism department and Winter Games Association of JK for helping him to introduce the event.“From the first day I am saying that event is bigger than a person. It is true I have started it but without the support of tourism department and Winter Games Association nothing could have been achieved. They helped by every mean to organize the event last year and this year they organized even it on bigger scale” he said.About the future of event he said, “The future is bright as it is only race of its kind in Himalayan region. We must make it of freestyle and open entry type race in which any one can participate irrespective of state and country. If we manage to organize it annually in that way I am sure it will become international hit in next 3 to 4 years.”Title sponsors of this event ‘Aegis ESSAR’ also seem keen to develop this event in particular and this sport in general.talkingk to Greater Kashmir state president of ESSAR group Zahoor Ahmad Malik said that we are not looking at this state for business purposes only . We also want to fill our corporate social responsibility in the state. We sponsored this event because we want to promote tourism of valley at international level and I think this event has done that.”The competition was sponsored by Aegis ESSAR and was technically supported by Pine Palace Hotel Gulmarg, Kashmir University, ISSM and other departments. Only Olympian of the state, Gul Mustafa was the course in charge of race.

Published in Greater Kashmir on Feb-4-2009 link : http://www.greaterkashmir.net/full_story.asp?Date=5_3_2009&ItemID=3&cat=4