SRINAGAR: The sixth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Nawang Dorjan Stobdan (NDS) Stadium in Leh, marking the beginning of the Ladakh phase of India’s flagship domestic winter sports event. Ice sports, including skating and ice hockey, will be held in Ladakh until January 26, while the snow events will take place later this year in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir.
This is the third time the Union Territory of Ladakh is hosting the Khelo India Winter Games, reinforcing its position as a key centre for the development of winter sports in the country. The opening ceremony featured traditional Ladakhi music and dance performances, along with an exhibition ice hockey match between Army XI and the UT Ladakh team.
The Games were formally declared open by Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Kavinder Gupta. The first leg of KIWG 2026 is being organised by the Youth Services and Sports Department of the UT Ladakh under the supervision of the Sports Authority of India, with technical support from national sports federations governing ice sports.
In a message, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated Ladakh on hosting the Games once again and said the event reflects India’s growing seriousness towards winter sports. He noted that the Himalayas are increasingly forming the backbone of the country’s winter sports ambitions and that sustained domestic competitions are essential for building credibility in winter Olympic disciplines.
Mandaviya said KIWG 2026 has been designed as a two-leg competition, with ice sports in Leh followed by snow events in Gulmarg, allowing athletes to compete across varied terrains and conditions aligned with international standards.
Addressing the gathering, Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta said Ladakh’s continued hosting of the Games demonstrates national confidence in the Union Territory’s organisational capability. He added that initiatives such as Khelo India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have given fresh impetus to sports culture by prioritising youth empowerment, fitness, and excellence.
A total of 1,060 participants, including 480 athletes, are taking part in KIWG 2026 across three venues — the upgraded NDS Stadium, Gupukh’s Pond, and the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre rink. Figure skating, an Olympic discipline in which Indian athletes have shown recent international progress, is making its debut at this edition of the Winter Games.
Senior officials present at the opening ceremony included Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil, Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, and senior officials of the Sports Authority of India.
Lt Governor Gupta also highlighted Ladakh’s first-ever Sports Policy, which focuses on school-level talent identification, inclusion of women and Divyang athletes, strengthening sports institutions, job reservations and incentives for sportspersons, development of international-standard infrastructure, and promotion of sports tourism to encourage youth participation and professional pathways in sports.
