2 days ago
- Sport
- United News of India
India's first Asian Skating Trophy meet in Dehradun having country's lone Olympic-sized ice rink
Dehradun, Aug 16 (UNI) India will host its first Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy championship in Uttarakhand, announced by the Ice Skating Association of India (ISAI) here
today.
Sharing the details, Amitabh Sharma, President ISAI informed that the Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy 2025, ever hosted in the country will be organised from August 20 to 23
here.
The international skating tournament will witness participation from 11 Asian nations China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines competing in nine distances ranging from 222 metre sprints to 5000 metres relays.
According to Sharma, the championship will be held in junior and senior categories.
Nearly 240 skaters and officials will take part in the event with a contingent size of 18 from China, 27 from Hong Kong, 11 Indonesia, 13 Japan, eight from Malaysia, two players from Philippines, five from Singapore, 25 from Thailand, 19 Chinese Taipei, 16 Vietnam and 95 members from India.
Sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU) and organized by the Ice Skating Association of India (ISAI), "This event signifies a bold leap for India's presence on the global ice sports map. All winter sports especially ice sports in India are still in a nascent stage of their growth. But with the revival of the Dehradun ice rink, it's like our tryst with destiny. This is the only international class ice rink to host a tournament like this,' said Amitabh Sharma, President ISAI.
He added 'We are building a future where India can host even larger events like the Junior World Cup by 2027. While it's India's Dream to host the 2036 Olympics, this event is a way to showcase our capabilities, experience and hospitality to the world' added Sharma, who is also a member of the Indian Olympic Association Executive Council.
It's notable that Dehradun based Himadri Ice Rink is India's only Olympic-sized ice rink to host Asian ice skating champion of international class ratified by ISU. The rink remained shut for several years due to high maintenance costs, and is now a symbol of resurgence, having recently hosted the 20th National Skating Championships.
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