International Skiers Arrive In Pakistan To Participate In Ski Races At Malam Jabba
36 international skiers from across the Globe arrived in Pakistan to participate in different categories of international ski races at the captivating Malam Jabba Ski Resort.
It is indeed a landmark event as 36 international skiers from nine countries including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Canada, Greece, Tajikistan, Timor, Turkey, Ukraine and United Kingdom will be participating in the FIS races on the slopes of enchanting ski resort.
These skiers will be racing in slalom and giant slalom categories of Malam Jabba International Alpine Ski Cup and CAS International Karakoram Alpine Ski Cup. 63 national skiers from various regions and ski associations of the country would also be seen in action during these events.
Competing in the FIS races against the highly ranked skiers of the world would provide an excellent opportunity to Pakistani athletes to showcase their talent at international level and learn from their competitors’ experience.
To mark this momentous occasion, Winter Sports Federation of Pakistan has also released an exciting promo, highlighting the electrifying and thrilling experience of this sport. Winter Sports Federation of Pakistan, in collaboration with Pakistan Air Force is earnestly working for the promotion of winter sports in the country and holding such events would not only boost the tourism industry in the magnificent mountains of Pakistan but also help in projecting a positive image of the country all over the world.
In the summer of 1962, the visiting Austrian ambassador to Pakistan and good friend of the Wali, suggested that a ski resort be built in Malam Jabba. The Austrian government funded the chairlift and provided skis and boots, while the Pakistani government built a hotel with 50 rooms. Construction of the entire resort finished in 1988, but the resort sat idle for another 10 years because of disputes over whether it should be run by the government or the private sector. In 1999, the government won rights to run the resort.
By 2006, over 20,000 people in Swat were employed indirectly by tourism to the region, including the resort.
In 2007, tourism and skiing infrastructure and businesses in Swat took a severe financial burden under Taliban occupation. The resort was converted into a stronghold for militants.
In April 2009, Operation Black Thunderstorm (Rah-e-Rast) was initiated, in a bid to retake control of the valley. As the army closed in on positions on the militants, the ski lift was destroyed and the hotel at the resort was set ablaze. The army retook Swat, but years of uncertainty and mayhem had negatively impacted international skiing in Pakistan.
In 2014, the Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leased Malam Jabba to the Samson Group of Companies for reconstruction of the ski resort and hotel, in a bid to boost tourism in the area again. That same year the Swat Snow Festival was arranged to showcase rebuilding activities at Malam Jabba.
