Netherlands to help build first ice-hockey stadium in Manali

A TEAM OF EXPERTS FROM NETHERLANDS WILL VISIT MANALI IN JANUARY WHEN A MASTER PLAN FOR THE STADIUM WILL BE PREPARED

Himachal Pradesh’s tourist town of Manali will have the state’s first ice-hockey stadium at the Atal Bihari Mountaineering Institute. The stadium will be built through public private partnership over the next two years at a cost of Rs 70 crore.

“It will have ice throughout the year to practise winter sports and will give youngsters the opportunity to compete and excel in these sports internationally,” says institute director Neeraj Rana.

A team of experts from The Netherlands will visit Manali in January when a master plan for the ice-hockey stadium will be prepared.

To boost winter sports, the Himachal Pradesh government signed a memorandum of understanding with a Netherlandsbased company at the recent Rising Himachal global investors’ meet in Dharamshala that was attended by more than 1,700 investors.

Prime Minister Narendra

Modi urged entrepreneurs to invest in the state and assured support from his government.

Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur had urged the Amsterdambased director of Ice Worlds to explore the possibility of upgrading the ice-skating rink in Shimla into an all-weather winter sports stadium.

During his visit to Germany and the Netherlands earlier this year, he met representatives of companies keen to promote winter sports in Himachal Pradesh. At present, Shimla has the country’s largest ice-skating rink that is usually open from December to February. Ice-skating sessions take place twice daily, while the rink offers short-term and longterm memberships.