Indian Army successfully defended its team championship title at the 6th Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2026, securing the top position in the overall medal tally.
The Army clinched nine gold medals overall, including eight gold medals in the Gulmarg edition, reaffirming its dominance in India’s premier winter sports competition.
Medal Tally Highlights
- Indian Army
- Total medals: 23
- Gold: 9
- Silver: 6
- Bronze: 8
- Overall Champion
- Himachal Pradesh
- Total medals: 14
- Gold: 6
- Silver: 7
- Bronze: 1
- Runners-up
- Haryana
- Finished third overall
On the final day, both Army and Himachal Pradesh secured four gold medals each. Host state Jammu & Kashmir clinched its first gold medal in the competition.
Notable Performance
Veteran skier Bhavani Thekkada Nanjunda of Karnataka, who had won a hat-trick of gold medals at KIWG 2025, once again impressed by finishing at the top in the Nordic women’s sprint (1.5 km) event.
About Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG)
The Khelo India Winter Games are India’s national-level, multidisciplinary grassroots winter sports event.
The Games were launched in 2020 following the success of the Khelo India Youth Games.
KIWG 2026 Overview
Organisers
- Hosted by: Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council
- Managed by: Sports Authority of India
Participation
- Over 900 athletes
- 25 States and Union Territories
- 6 sports disciplines
- Events held across Gulmarg and Leh
Structure of KIWG 2026
First Leg
- Venue: Leh
- Dates: 20–26 January 2026
Second Leg
- Venue: Gulmarg
- Dates: 23–26 February 2026
- Expected Participation:
- 339 Athletes
- 111 Support Staff
- 73 Technical Officials
- 80 SSVs
- 20 CDMs
Sports Disciplines (2nd Leg)
- Ski Mountaineering
- Alpine Skiing
- Snowboarding
- Nordic Skiing
Other Winter Sports Under KIWG
KIWG includes multiple winter disciplines such as:
- Alpine Skiing
- Nordic Skiing
- Snow Rugby
- Ice Stock Sport
- Snow Baseball
- Mountaineering
- Snowshoe Running
- Ice Hockey
- Figure Skating
- Speed Skating
Venues of Khelo India Winter Games
The Winter Games are held in two legs:
- Khelo India Ladakh Winter Games – Leh
- Khelo India Jammu & Kashmir Winter Games – Gulmarg
These locations provide natural snow conditions and suitable high-altitude terrain for winter sports development.
Participation Structure
Events are categorised based on:
- Age groups
- Block level
- District level
- State and Union Territory level
The structure ensures grassroots talent identification and competitive progression.