Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 12: With around 400 athletes expected to participate, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya today announced that the Gulmarg leg of the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2026 will be held from February 23 to 26.
As per the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Dr Mandaviya termed it the “perfect time” to stage the snow sports competitions following the conclusion of the Winter Olympics.
This will be the sixth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games.
The first leg of KIWG 2026, featuring ice sports, was successfully held in Ladakh from January 20 to 26, while Gulmarg will host the snow sports events.
The Indian Army will defend its overall championship title in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Gulmarg leg is coming at the back of the Winter Olympics and this is the perfect time to host the Khelo India Winter Games. We had a very successful first phase in Leh and we are confident of witnessing the same excitement in Jammu and Kashmir as athletes once again battle challenging conditions,” Dr Mandaviya said.
He said each edition of the Winter Games has seen rising competition and improved performance standards.
“In Leh, the addition of figure skating enhanced the competitive intensity, and in Gulmarg, we are expecting some impressive timings on the Kongdoori slopes,” the minister added.
Gulmarg will feature four medal disciplines – Ski Mountaineering, Alpine Skiing, Nordic Skiing (Cross-Country), and Snowboarding – with Alpine Skiing expected to draw the highest participation.
Officials said the Khelo India Winter Games have played a key role in transforming India’s winter sports ecosystem by providing a structured national competitive platform, leading to increased participation, improved performance standards, and greater public awareness.
The impact is already being reflected at the international level, with Indian athletes registering podium finishes abroad, they said.
Notably, figure skater Tara Prasad has secured medals at international competitions, while the Indian women’s ice hockey team clinched a historic bronze medal at the 2025 IIHF Women’s Asia Cup, marking India’s first-ever podium finish in an international ice hockey championship.
The timing of the Gulmarg leg is also seen as strategically significant, as it follows the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, where India is represented by alpine skier Arif Khan and cross-country skier Stanzin Lundup, helping sustain momentum and national focus on winter sports development.
At the conclusion of the KIWG 2025 season, the Indian Army topped the overall standings with 18 medals, followed by Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.
In the Ladakh leg of KIWG 2026, Haryana led the medal tally with four gold medals, followed by Ladakh, Maharashtra, and Telangana.
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