Jammu and Kashmir State Icestock team is all set to play in 12th Icestock World Championship-2018, to be held at Winklarn and Amstetten in Austria from 26th of February.
J&K Icestock team will represent India in World Championship-2018 in two different events (Individual and Team) and the championship will likely proceed till 3rd of March.
Meanwhile, the team qualified for the 12th Icestock World Championship after thrashing eight States in 4th National Icestock Sport Championship- 2018, which was held at Ice Rink Gulmarg.
Moreover, the 12th Icestock World Championship will be organized by the International Federation Icestocksport (IFI) under the Patronage of President of IFI, Manfred Schafer.
Pertinent to mention here that in 2012, Schafer visited Kashmir for introducing Icestock sport in Kashmir besides holding Icestock camps and to train the players of Kashmir. He had also provided Officiating course to almost 12 boys at Gulmarg.
Tournament Director of J&K Icestock Sport, Irfan Aziz Botta told Kashmir Post that they are excited to compete at World Championship and he said that Icestock is a recreational and eye-candy sport that needs less endurance and physical strength.
“Though anyone can play it but we launched this game in Kashmir to add a feature in the lives of those people who don’t get out of their cozy beds,” he adds.
Captain of the Team Target Competition, Mohammad Sarfaraaz said that they are practicing to hone their skills from past two months at Gulmarg to prepare for World Championship.
Earlier, the 4th National Icestock Championship was held under three different events comprising of ‘Team Target Competition’, ‘Individual Target Competition’ and ‘Distance Competition’ respectively.
J&K State Icestock team brushed off all the three categories and captured first place on Podium and won Gold Medals in each category.
In the ‘Team Target Competition’, comprising of 4 players – Captain, Mohammad Sarfaraaz, Peerzaada Faheem Shah, Salim Shafi Bhat and Peer Adil Manzoor won Gold medal.
While as, Irfan Aziz Botta dusted Maharashtra in ‘Individual Target Competition’ and earned Gold medal.
Moreover, in third and final category, Junaid Hussain Mir hammered Haryana in Distance Competition to bag third Gold Medal for the J&K State Icestock Sport.
Meanwhile, the 4th National Championship was organized by Jammu and Kashmir Icestock Sport Association under the aegis of Indian Icestock Sports Federation which is recognized with the Global Association of International Sports Federation and affiliated with International Federation Icestock Sport and Kashmir Winter Games