New Delhi:
On Thursday, January 23, the picturesque city of Leh in Ladakh will transform into a vibrant hub of winter sports as the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025 kick off. This highly anticipated event, now in its fifth edition, will see 428 athletes from 19 teams, including states, Union Territories, and institutional outfits, compete in ice hockey and ice skating events over a span of five days.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is set to declare the games open at the iconic Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Sports Complex in Leh, an event that will also be attended by dignitaries such as the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier Dr BD Mishra, and senior officials from the Sports Authority of India and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
The traditional Ladakhi-style opening ceremony will welcome a total of 594 participants, including athletes and support staff. This marks the second time Ladakh is hosting the Winter Games, with the first part of the event focusing on ice sports and the second part, featuring snow games like skiing, scheduled to take place in Jammu and Kashmir from February 22 to 25.
All teams have arrived in Leh, which is situated at an altitude of 11,562 feet. Himachal Pradesh boasts the largest contingent with 78 athletes and support staff, followed by Haryana with 62, hosts Ladakh with 52, and Maharashtra with 48. Uttarakhand, which will host the National Games later this month, has the smallest team with just one athlete.
The games aim not only to identify and nurture talent but also to showcase the region’s art, culture, and heritage, while promoting tourism through sports. Young skaters will compete at the Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Sports Complex and Gupuks Pond, while ice hockey matches will be held at the NDS Complex and the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre. The technical conduct of the events will be supervised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) with support from national sports federations.
The opening ceremony and subsequent events will be covered live by Doordarshan Sports and live-streamed daily until January 27. In the previous edition of the KIWG, Maharashtra dominated the skating events with 20 medals, including six golds, while Karnataka secured six golds but finished second. Hosts Ladakh made history with two Khelo India golds in speed skating.
The ice hockey competition is expected to be fiercely contested, with teams from the Army, ITBP, Himachal Pradesh, and UT-Ladakh vying for supremacy. The Army and ITBP, defending champions in men’s and women’s categories respectively, have historically dominated national and Khelo India Winter Games events.
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