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The sixth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games 2026 was inaugurated at the NDS stadium in Leh, Ladakh. The event is being organised by the Department of Youth Services and Sports, UT Ladakh, as per a release.
The opening ceremony was held with a formal programme arranged at the venue. The ceremony was graced by the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavindra Gupta, who served as the Chief Guest. On the opening day, the scheduled ice hockey match was held on time. During the match, the ice hockey skaters displayed their skills, drawing the attention of the spectators at the venue. A cultural programme was also organised during the opening ceremony, adding to the overall significance of the inaugural event. A key highlight of this edition is that the ice hockey matches are being played for the first time at the Artificial Ice Rink in NDS stadium, Leh. As per the official schedule, Ice Hockey and Short Track events are being conducted at the Ice Hockey Rink, NDS Sports Complex, Leh, while Long Track events are being held at Gupuk Pond, Leh. The Ice Hockey competition is witnessing participation from teams representing Maharashtra, Chandigarh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, UT Ladakh, ITBP, and the Indian Army. The Khelo India Winter Games 2026 will continue till January 26, 2026. The first leg of the Khelo India Winter Games 2026 is organised by the Youth Services and Sports department of the Union Territory of Ladakh under the supervision of the Sports Authority of India. The technical expertise for the conduct of the Games is provided by the national sports promotional bodies/federations managing ice sports. KIWG 2026 is the second event on the Khelo India calendar this year. The first event was the Khelo India Beach Games held in Diu from January 5 to January 10. For all athletes and their support staff, the Leh Games will test how they perform under challenging high-altitude climatic conditions, including minus-degree temperatures and low oxygen. Haryana (62), Himachal Pradesh (55), and Ladakh (52) have the largest representation among the 21 states and UTs taking part. There will be 17 gold medals at stake in the KIWG 2026 Ladakh leg. Of these, 15 will be for ice skating. (ANI)
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