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The Khelo India season is set to begin with the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025 in Ladakh starting Thursday. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will attend the opening ceremony at the iconic Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Sports Complex in Leh.
Nineteen teams, including state, Union Territory, and institutional outfits, will compete over five days in two events: ice hockey and ice skating. This marks the first phase of KIWG 2025, with the second phase, featuring snow games like skiing, scheduled to be held in Jammu and Kashmir from February 22 to 25. Mandaviya will be accompanied by dignitaries such as Brigadier Dr BD Mishra, the Lieutenant Governor of UT Ladakh, and senior officials from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council. A traditional Ladakhi-style opening ceremony has been planned to welcome 594 participants, including 428 athletes. This is the second time Ladakh will host the Winter Games, now in its fifth edition. Young skaters will showcase their talent at the NDS Sports Complex and Gupuks Pond, the two venues for short and long-form skating events. Ice hockey matches will take place at the NDS Complex and the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre. The technical conduct of events will be overseen by SAI, in collaboration with national sports federations. The KIWG opening ceremony will be broadcast live on Doordarshan Sports, with daily live-streaming of events until January 27. In KIWG 2024, Maharashtra dominated the skating events, winning 20 medals, including six golds. Karnataka also secured six gold medals but finished second with a total of eight medals. Host Ladakh achieved a historic milestone by winning two Khelo India golds in speed skating and secured third place with 13 medals overall. The ice hockey competition will witness fierce rivalries between teams from the Army, ITBP, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh. The Army, the defending men's champions, and ITBP, the reigning women's champions, have consistently shared most national and KIWG titles between them. All participating teams have arrived in Leh, situated at an altitude of 11,562 feet. Himachal Pradesh has sent the largest contingent with 78 athletes and support staff, followed by Haryana (62), Ladakh (52), and Maharashtra (48). (ANI)
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