Four-Day Khelo India Winter Games Begin In J&K’s Gulmarg Today
All arrangements are in place today for the inauguration of the 6th Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) at the picturesque, snow-clad ski resort of Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir.
The four-day event will be flagged off today by J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, with 400 athletes from 30 states and union territories participating.
Nuzhat Gul, Secretary, J&K Sports Council, told IANS, “400 participants from 30 states and union territories have registered for the games. God willing, the event is going to be a great success as Gulmarg has a good snow cover this time”.
The four-day event is being held from February 23 to 26. The first leg of KIWG was held in Leh town in Ladakh from January 20 to 26.
The second edition of the games for snow events is being held in Gulmarg. All six editions of the Khelo India Winter Games have been held in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Gulmarg is hosting four medal disciplines—ski mountaineering, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing (cross-country) and snowboarding—with the highest number of registrations recorded in alpine skiing.
At the conclusion of KIWG 2026 in Ladakh-Leh, Haryana led the medal tally with four gold medals won by its figure and ice skaters, followed by Ladakh, Maharashtra and Telangana.
The mascot of KIWG is ‘’—the snow leopard, which represents the spirit of Indian winter sports as resilient, agile and adaptable, carrying the legacy of the Himalayas to the national stage through the Khelo India Winter Games.
Special arrangements have been made for the event, with senior officers of the civil administration and security agencies reviewing preparations in detail.
Kashmir is also prepared to receive Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan on February 26, when he will be the chief guest at the 21st convocation of Kashmir University, scheduled to be held the same day.
