GILGIT: A large number of fans of international and national players witnessed the third Chief of the Air Staff Karakoram Inter­national Alpine Ski Cup held in Naltar on Wed­nesday, amid freezing temperatures.

The second day of the CAS Karakoram Inter­national Alpine Ski Cup was dominated by Ukrainian skiers.

They clinched two positions each in men and women slalom races in the international event being held at the PAF Ski Resort in Naltar. Tsibelenko Levko remained unassailable in the men’s slalom category, while his countryman Narichyn Andriy secured the third position. Local sensation Muhammad Karim put up a spectacular show by finishing second in the same category.

In the women’s slalom contest, two Ukrainians — Tikun Tetyana and Anastasia Gorbunova — won the 1st and 2nd positions, respectively.

Pak­istani skier Gia Ali secured the third position.

The final competition of the sport would be held on Thursday while the concluding ceremony will be held in Islamabad on Feb 3. The ceremony will be attended by civil and military officials, as well as foreign and local delegations.

High-ranking international skiers from 13 countries, including Greece, Afghanistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Morocco, Kyrgyzstan, Azer­baijan and Tajikistan, are participating in the grand event.

Apart from them, skiers from associations of Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Civil Aviation Authority, Pak­istan Army, Air Force, GB scouts, and others are participating in different categories of the sport.

Obaidur Rahman Abbasi, the CAA ski sports head and general secretary of the AJK ski association, told Dawn that for the first time in the country’s history winter sports activities, besides ski competitions such as ice-skating, ice hockey and snowboarding, were being held in Naltar.

He said the sports federation had also hired an international coach for ice hockey.

All winter sports associations had been asked to nominate their players to train them, he added.

He said the Pakistan air chief was supervising the sports activities being held in the country for the first time.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2019