Malam Jabba Festival: Tourists enjoy ski competitions, music in sports gala

MINGORA: The Winter Sports Festival 2020 is in full-swing as a number of activities, including skiing, Khattak dance, archery were held in the snow-capped tourist resort Malam Jabba in Swat valley on Saturday.

The tourists and visitors mesmerised when players of ski showed their skills while skiing on the snow from a high altitude.

Shakir clinched first position in the Under-15 ski race, while Barkat stood second and Ismail and Mustaqim got third place in the competitions.

A number of other events and activities, including Khattak dance, archery, traditional Attanr, music with rabab-mangay, bonfire and others also took place.

The foreign and local tourists and visitors, who have already thronged the serene resort, enjoyed the games and music on the white snow in Malam Jabba.

A tourist Farah Ayub, Siemens Group Marketing Manager Samar Sabeen and others hailed the organisers for arranging such a beautiful festival.

They said that the skiing and other competitions would hone the skills of the players and they would be able to take part in the international games to bring laurels for the country and nation. The Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP), Swat district administration and Siemens Group have jointly organised the three-day festival.

The festival is featuring a number of winter sports games including skiing, speed skating, ice hockey, sledding and tobogganing, archery, curling, snow-tubing, music show, food, display of handicrafts and others. Competitions of speed skating, ice hockey, sledding and tobogganing, archery, curling, snow-tubing, display of handicrafts and others are also part of the gala.

The concluding ceremony will be held today (Sunday) where Malakand Commissioner Riaz Mehsud will be the chief guest.

The organisers said that the sports extravaganza was aimed at reviving the scenic places, rehabilitating the archaeological and heritage sites and provision of missing facilities to boost tourism in the province to attract tourists and visitors to the serene spots.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been gifted with abundant natural beauty of lush green valleys, snow-capped mountains, deserts, rivers, landscapes, rich cultural and traditional heritage and history, springs, streams and serene spots.

There are natural springs of cool and sweet water, rhythmic waterfalls, lofty snow-covered mountains, green pastures, valleys and zigzag rivers and streams flowing with fresh water.

Because of these attractions, millions of people visit to experience the beauty it has to offer.