GILGIT: The National Ice Sports Championship, which included exciting events including figure skating, ice hockey, speed skating, curling, and relay races, came to an end at Naltar Valley on Friday.
Twelve teams from all over the nation competed, including five female teams and seven male teams from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), GB Scouts, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Islamabad, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
With a total of 12 medals, including three gold, five silver, and four bronze, Gilgit-Baltistan emerged as the tournament’s dominant power.
The oldest ski resort in Pakistan is Naltar Valley, which is 34 kilometers from Gilgit city and 10,500 feet above sea level in the Karakoram Range. The valley, which is well-known for its snow-capped peaks and colorful lakes, provides the ideal balance of excitement and tranquility.
Every year, ice sports tournaments are organized by the PAF, National Winter Sports Association, and Gilgit-Baltistan Winter Sports Association.
Hunza’s seven-day winter festival begins
GB Scouts won the men’s ice hockey title in this tournament, while the Gilgit-Baltistan Winter Sports Association (GBWSA) won the women’s division.
The GBWSA won gold in the women’s speed skating competition, and the GB Scouts won the men’s.
The GB Scouts won the men’s figure skating competition, while Sindh won the women’s division.
When it came to the relay races, GBWSA won the women’s relay race, while GB Scouts won the men’s event. PAF won the women’s curling competition, while KP won the men’s.
GB was allowed to send two men’s and two women’s teams to the competition because they were the host province.
The closing ceremony, which took place at Naltar on Wednesday, successfully concluded this esteemed national event and honored the accomplishments of all participants.
The seven-day Winter Fest in Gilgit kicked off Thursday in Murtazabad, Hunza, after the championship. The GB government, together with GBWSA, organized this event.
The winners of other snow sports championships that were held recently in places including Astore, Ghizer, Nagar, and Hunza will take part in the winter festival.
The GB government has been hosting winter festivals for many years, working with local communities and non-governmental organizations, according to Zamir Abbas, the secretary of GB tourism and culture.
These gatherings are intended to boost winter travel, improve the abilities of regional athletes, and give locals access to entertainment.
He claimed that because many localities host winter sports tournaments on a self-help basis, these events have a good effect on the local economy. Numerous tourists have also been drawn to the area by winter sports activities.