Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the renovation work of India’s only international-standard ice rink at Maharana Pratap Sports College, Raipur, Dehradun. He said that this is a significant achievement for Uttarakhand and this ice skating rink is not just a milestone for Uttarakhand but for the entire nation.
Chief Minister Dhami said the ice skating rink was originally built in 2011 and had hosted the South-Eastern Asian Winter Games, which saw participation from countries including Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka and India. However, due to neglect in the following years, the rink was shut down. Under the mission to establish Devbhoomi Uttarakhand as a land of sports, the current government decided to revive this rink.
He added that the government was determined to restart the rink, even if it meant bringing in engineers from abroad. With this firm resolve, the state successfully restored the facility.
Highlighting the government’s continued commitment, CM Dhami said that just like the National Games were organized under the theme of “Green Games”, a 1-megawatt solar plant has been installed to power the ice skating rink. This rink, built to international standards, is arguably the largest in South Asia.
The Ice Skating Federation of India has also submitted a proposal to the department for organizing events at the venue.
The Chief Minister expressed confidence that in the coming days, this rink will host national and international-level ice skating competitions. The rink will play a vital role in fulfilling the state’s unwavering mission to transform Devbhoomi Uttarakhand into a land of sports.
On this occasion, Cabinet Minister Mrs. Rekha Arya, MLA Mr. Umesh Sharma ‘Kau’, Special Chief Secretary Mr. Amit Sinha, Additional Secretary Mr. Prashant Arya, along with officials from the sports department and a large number of athletes, were present.
