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Ice skating camp in Shimla

Players taking part in an ice skating training camp in Shimla.

     Shimla: The country's oldest ice skating rink in Shimla is abuzz with sports activities nowadays. Eighteen players from five states are here to learn the tricks of speed skating in a week-long training camp. Organised by the Ice Skating Association of India with Shimla Ice Skating Club, the training camp serves the twin purposes of learning the latest rules and techniques in ice-skating games and popularising ice skating in other parts of the country. Animesh Talukdar, an ice skating trainee from West Bengal, said that the ice-skating helps the skater in attaining both physical and mental health. Aslo, whatever they learn here would be passed on to the people back home. "We are learning balancing right now. It helps you in both physical and mental development. Every person can learn this. We learn pushing, running and other htings. We'll learn here and then teach our students in Kolkata. We are learning a good deal of sport," he said.

     According to many, the club provides an opportunity to them to practise on natural ice rink which is better for learning than artificial ice rinks. Many of the trainees are into roller skating who want to leap into the ice-skating arena also. "The best part of the camp is that we are getting the opportunity to practice in the natural ice which is not availalbe in many other areas. When we practice in artificial ice, we tend to get tired very soon, but it is not so with the natural ice. Although there's a difference between roller skating and ice-skating, but one who knows roller skating can move to ice-skating easily," said M A Quadeer Khan, an ice-skater from Andhra Pradesh. Shimla Ice-Skating rink is the only open air natural ice-skating rink in South Asia. This colonial heritage was built by Britishers in the year 1920. During the winter months, ice-skating enthusiasts enjoy adventure sports in this rink. The week-long training camp concludes on Sunday (January 9)
-Jan 2, 2005

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