LEH TO EMBARK ON NEW JOURNEY AS WORLD'S FIRST HIGH-ALTITUDE para SPORTS CENTRE

Leh, Jammu & Kashmir - In a historic step forward for Indian para sports, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) and the Aditya Mehta Foundation (AMF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the world's first high-altitude para sports centre in Leh, aiming to boost the nation's Para Olympic ambitions ahead of the 2028 Paralympics.

Under this pact, the LAHDC and AMF will jointly work towards setting up state-of-the-art training facilities for athletes from the Ladakh region. The aim is to unlock the full potential of para athletes from the Himalayan region, particularly children with special needs, who have been identified by the AMF.

According to the MoU, 15 Children with Special Needs (CwSN) from Leh-Ladakh UT region will undergo screening, counseling and training at the AMF's Infinity Parasports Academy and Rehabilitation Centre in Hyderabad, before moving on to the new centre, which is expected to be completed soon.

The high-altitude para sports centre will cater to a wide range of adaptive sports, including Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Blind Football and Cycling, besides winter games like Para Alpine Skiing, Para Cross-Country Skiing, Para Snowboard and more.

"This historic step marks an exciting new chapter for the sporting sector in Ladakh," said Advocate Tashi Gyalson, Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of LAHDC. The world's first high-altitude centre will not only benefit the athletes from Ladakh but provide a competitive edge for India in future Paralympic events.

India won 29 medals, including seven gold, in the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, underlining the country's para-athletes' potential. The Aditya Mehta Foundation's founder added that "opening Leh Ladakh as a hub for para sports marks a new era not just for the region but India's future in international competitions."

The world-class para sports centre, expected to create a ripple effect in sports development across Ladakh and India, will pave the way towards creating Para Olympians who can bring laurels to the nation.

(The news is first published on Alayaran.com with special permission from PTI)