ISLAMABAD, Feb 7: A record 15 teams, including players from Iran and India, will compete in the Karakoram Cup-15th National Ski Championship commencing at the 10,000-feet high Naltar Ski Resort, just north of Gilgit, on Friday.

The championship, to feature over 100 players, will conclude on February 15 with competitions, carrying 12 medals altogether, to be held in the alpine skiing events of slalom and giant slalom.

The details were released to the press on Wednesday by Vice Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Raashid Kalim, who is also the President of Ski Federation of Pakistan.

The participating players, among them women and children also, will represent the teams from the four provinces, Islamabad, the three services, Civil Aviation Authority, PTDC, Adventure Foundation of Pakistan, Alpine Club and Northern Scouts.

The Federal Minister for Tourism, Nilofar Bakhtiar, will formally inaugurate the competition on February 11 though the teams will start their practice on February 8 and 9.

Raashid Kalim said the championship couldn't be held at Malam Jabba ski resort as repair work was in progress there. “Naltar, which has separate slopes for beginners and competitors alike, is also suited for a competition like Karakoram Cup”.

He said Chairman Cup, another tournament on the national ski calendar, would be held at Malam Jabba which would soon become the no.1 ski resort of Pakistan.

He said there was no bar on foreign players to enter Naltar though there is prohibition on foreigners for the resort of Rattu located at higher altitude.

Raashid Kalim said seven Pakistani skiiers, including three girls, competed in the Winter Asian Games after advanced training in China last year. He disclosed that Pakistani teams would also be participating in ski competitions in Korea, Iran, Turkey, Japan, Sweden etc. Besides, he said, Pakistanis would also take part in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada and also train at Gulmerg (India).—APP