Advisor Dr Pawan Kotwal chairs meeting to discuss establishment of Zanskar & Drass Winter Sports Academy

Leh, Oct 04, 2024: The Advisor to Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor Ladakh Dr Pawan Kotwal chaired a meeting to discuss the establishment of the Zanskar and Drass Winter Sports Academy in Conference Room at Civil Secretariat, Leh.

Pradhuman Pathak from Ronmas (India) Private Limited delivered a detailed presentation during the meeting, outlining the key agenda of the project for the Zanskar and Drass Winter Sports Academy including the introduction and vision for the projects; Project sites and alignments in Drass and Zanskar; Project facilities; Sustainable strategies; Utilities required; Preliminary budget and approvals required.

The project is designed to promote winter sports, foster local talent, and transform the region into a global hub for adventure tourism.

To promote winter sports in the region, the Advisor has instructed the relevant authorities to establish a committee of experts. This committee tasked with carefully reviewing and examining the “concept notes” related to the proposed Winter Sports Academies in Zanskar and Drass.

The committee of experts will evaluate the viability, infrastructure, and potential of the proposed Winter Sports Academies to ensure that they meet the project’s goals. Their assessment will focus on aligning the academies with the broader vision of promoting winter sports; fostering local talent and positioning the region as a global adventure tourism destination.

The Advisor directed the concerned authorities to collaborate with the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM), Gulmarg, in setting up the Winter Sports Academies in Drass and Zanskar. He emphasized that the Ministry of Tourism has already sanctioned an IISM branch in Kargil, and the IISM would leverage its expertise to prepare a detailed proposal for the development of the academies.

The Advisor stressed the importance of securing full approval and ensuring adequate funding to drive these projects forward.

The proposed Winter Sports Academies in Zanskar and Drass aim to significantly enhance training facilities, nurture local talent, and boost sports tourism in the region. These academies will focus on winter sports, particularly skiing, and will be equipped with specialized infrastructure such as chairlifts, ropeway chairlifts, ropeways, and ski drag lifts.

These facilities are designed to improve accessibility to ski slopes, offer professional-level training, and make the region a more attractive destination for winter sports enthusiasts.

The Winter Sports Academies in Zanskar and Drass are designed to provide year-round opportunity for youth development, focusing on improving sports infrastructure and contributing to the local economy.

A follow-up meeting is scheduled to be held after ten days, where the relevant stakeholders will reconvene to further deliberate on the project’s progress, address any challenges, and refine the next steps toward implementation.

 The Winter Sports Academy project in Zanskar and Drass will operate under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism, with both approval and funding provided by the Government of India.

The meeting was attended by Administrative Secretary, YSS, UT Ladakh, Vikram Singh Malik; Deputy Commissioner/CEO, LAHDC, Kargil, Srikant Balasaheb Suse; Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Zanskar; Chief Engineer, PWD, UT Ladakh; Superintending Engineer, PWD, Kargil; Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Drass; Executive Engineer, PWD, Kargil; Executive Engineer, PWD, Zanskar; District Youth Services and Sports Officer Kargil. The officials stationed outside attended the meeting virtually.