India to Host Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy 2025 for the First Time.
Sports
India will host the Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy 2025 from 20 to 23 August at the Olympic-standard Himadri Ice Skating Rink, Dehradun. The event marks a landmark moment in Indian sports, underscoring the country’s emergence on the winter sports stage.
- For the first time, India is hosting the prestigious Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy—a significant milestone in the nation’s winter sports history. The championship will convene elite skaters from more than 10 Asian nations at Dehradun’s Himadri Ice Skating Rink, India’s only Olympic-standard facility.
- The four-day event, running from 20–23 August 2025, will take place at the Maharana Pratap Sports College in Raipur, Dehradun—the only Olympic-sized rink in the country.
Main Point :- (i) Approximately 240 skaters and officials from 10–11 countries are expected to participate, including teams from China, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and others.
(ii) Competitors will vie across nine race distances, ranging from 222-meter sprints to 5000-meter relays, in both junior and senior categories, showcasing speed, endurance, and team dynamics.
(iii) Event organizers believe this championship could serve as a catalyst for the development of winter sports infrastructure in India. It may spur investment in ice rinks, training facilities, and youth athlete development programs, paving the way for hosting larger international competitions—such as the Junior World Cup (by 2027), the 2029 Asian Games, and even the Winter Olympics in the future.
____________________________
