Soon, Manali will have its very own ice hockey stadium

The gorgeous hill town of Manali is all set to have its very own ice hockey stadium, thanks to a Netherlands firm that has decided to invest INR 17 crore for the purpose. Both the stadium and the ice rink will be built according to the international standards and is aimed to draw more tourists to this Himachali hill town.

According to Govind Singh Thakur, Youth Services and Sports Minister, an MoU has already been signed with the Netherlands firm and, very soon, the work on the ice hockey stadium will also begin. However, this won’t be the first ice rink in India. There’s already one ice skating rink in Shimla and an ice hockey rink in Spiti, which makes Manali the third destination with such a facility. The only difference would be that the one in Manali would be designed according to international standards. Also, the destination will play host to several international level events in future.
The sports minister said, “This will be the first such stadium in the country. Winter sports infrastructure is being strengthened in Manali. Besides skiing slopes, now we shall have a beautiful ice hockey rink where our children will rehearse and will prepare for national and international competitions. We can even host international events in the future. The stadium will also help in boosting the winter tourism”.

As of now, the state government is looking for the land to fulfil their dream project. The Netherlands based firm will coordinate with Manali based Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports for all the technical support. Once the hockey stadium is completed, chances are that the institute will look after all the operations.