Leh (Ladakh): The Khelo India season starts with the Khelo India Winter Games 2025 on Thursday. Nineteen teams, composed of states, Union Territories, and institutional outfits, will compete over five days in two events – ice hockey and ice skating. Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya will be in attendance at the opening ceremony at the iconic Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Sports Complex in Leh on Thursday and will declare the Games open.
This will be the first part of KIWG 2025. The second part, featuring snow games like skiing, will be hosted by Jammu & Kashmir from February 22-25. Mandaviya will be joined by a host of dignitaries, including Brigadier Dr BD Mishra, the Lt Governor of UT Ladakh, and senior officials of the Sports Authority of India and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
A traditional, Ladhaki-style opening has been planned to welcome 594 participants, of which 428 will be athletes. This will be the second time Ladakh will be hosting the Winter Games, into its fifth edition.
Several young skaters will be seen in action at the NDS and Gupuks Pond, the two venues where short and long-form skating will be organised. Ice hockey matches will be played at the NDS and the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre. The technical conduct of the events will be supervised by SAI with help from the national sports federations. The KIWG opening ceremony will be covered live by Doordarshan Sports and events will be live-streamed every day till January 27.
In KIWG 2024, Maharashtra won 20 skating medals which included six gold. Karnataka also finished with six gold medals but their total count of eight as against Maharashtra’s 20, relegated them to the Number 2 position in the standings. Hosts Ladakh, who won a pair of historic Khelo India gold medals in speed skating, finished third with a combined haul of 13 medals.
Ice hockey competition is fiercely contested among teams from the Army, ITBP, Himachal Pradesh, and UT-Ladakh. Army, the defending men’s champions, and ITBP, the women’s title holders, have shared most of the national and Khelo India Winter Games titles between them.
All teams have arrived in Leh which is at an altitude of 11,562 feet. Himachal Pradesh have the biggest contingent comprising 78 athletes and support staff. Haryana (62), hosts Ladakh (52) and Maharashtra (48) will compete in the Ladakh edition. Uttarakhand, which will be hosting the National Games later this month, have the smallest team comprising one solitary athlete.
(IANS)
