Army, Maharashtra are set to defend ice hockey and speed skating crowns respectively as 19 teams featuring 428 athletes will take part in two disciplines over five days
The Khelo India season starts with the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025 in Ladakh from Thursday (January 23). Nineteen teams, comprising of states, union territories and institutional outfits, will compete over five days in two events 바카라“ ice-hockey and ice-skating. (More Sports News)
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.
Union sports minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya will be in attendance at the opening ceremony at the Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Sports Complex in Leh on Thursday and will declare the Games Open.
Dr 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, Ladakhi-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.
In KIWG 2024, Maharashtra won 20 skating medals that included six gold. Karnataka also finished with six gold but their total count of eight as against Maharashtra바카라™s 20, relegated them to the Number 2 position in the standings. Hosts Ladakh, who won a pair of historic Khelo India gold in speed skating, finished third with a combined haul of 13 medals.
Ice hockey competition is fiercely contest among teams from Army, ITBP, Himachal Pradesh and UT-Ladakh. Army, the defending men바카라™s champions, and ITBP, the women바카라™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.
The KIWG opening ceremony will be covered live by Doordarshan Sports and events will be live streamed every day till January 27.