KIWG 2025: Army Jawans Excel as Himachal Pradesh Narrows the Gap on Day 3
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Synopsis
On Day 3 of KIWG 2025, the Indian Army excelled with four medals, maintaining their lead in the standings. Rajeshwar Singh celebrated two golds, highlighting the support from the Army. Himachal Pradesh surged ahead with impressive performances, closing the gap in the medal tally.
Key Takeaways
- Indian Army leads with 7 gold, 5 silver, and 6 bronze medals.
- Rajeshwar Singh wins two gold medals in ski mountaineering.
- Himachal Pradesh showcases strong performances in Alpine and snowboarding events.
- Women from ITBP sweep Nordic skiing sprint medals.
- Khelo India Winter Games provide a crucial platform for athletes.
Gulmarg (J&K), March 11 (NationPress) The Indian Army maintained its remarkable performance on the second-to-last day of the Khelo India Winter Games here on Tuesday, securing four medals to remain at the top of the medal tally. The Army team comprising Narsingh Thapa, Rajeshwar Singh, Sunil Rai, and Vishal Chandal triumphed in the ski mountaineering men’s relay with a time of 49:58.1, drawing significant attention.
Rajeshwar Singh, who has been preparing for ski mountaineering for the past three years, expressed his excitement over winning two gold medals in the second segment of the Khelo India Winter Games. Rajeshwar, a rifleman stationed at the High-Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg, previously won gold in the ski mountaineering sprint event.
“The Army has been extremely supportive of my endeavors. My superiors have consistently motivated me to excel in sports. Being located in Gulmarg certainly provides an advantage due to the local knowledge and adaptation to harsh weather conditions, which has aided my training,” he stated.
“I aspire to represent India in global competitions, and Khelo India offers athletes like myself a valuable platform to set high standards. This marks the fifth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games, and with each year, the Indian government has amplified its backing for winter sports, which is very encouraging,” Rajeshwar Singh was quoted saying by SAI Media.
With a tally of seven gold, five silver, and six bronze medals, the Army leads the standings, one medal ahead of Himachal Pradesh, who secured seven medals on the day to climb to second place.
The Indian Army dominated the Nordic skiing men’s 15km event, with Sunny Singh bagging the gold medal with a time of 41:04.54, followed by Stanzin who took silver at 41:20.70, and Thupstan, who clinched bronze at 41:51.38.
Himachal Pradesh delivered their best performance ever, achieving a clean sweep in the Alpine skiing women’s slalom and securing the top two places in the snowboarding women’s slalom event. The trio of Anchal Thakur (gold), Tanuja Thakur (silver), and Promila Thakur (bronze) showcased their dominance in the Alpine skiing event.
In the snowboarding women’s slalom, Priti Thakur and Prakriti Thakur secured gold and silver respectively, with Urmila Pable from Maharashtra taking home the bronze.
“The greater the competition, the more our skills and capabilities improve. This is why the Khelo India Winter Games is a crucial event for snowboarders like me. I started at the age of 20 and have been training for the past three years under Raja Khan, which has greatly improved my abilities. I aim to compete internationally,” Priti Thakur told SAI Media.
“As a Khelo India athlete, I have received substantial support, from complimentary equipment to training, which is invaluable for someone from a modest background. My ultimate goal is to represent India at the Winter Olympics, and with adequate exposure and better resources, I am confident in my ability to qualify in snowboarding,” she added.
Women skiers from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) continued their reign in the Nordic skiing event, sweeping all three medals in the sprint category. Kusum Rana secured her second gold of the Khelo India Winter Games with a time of 06:40.59. Bhavani Thekkada from Karnataka earned the silver with a time of 06:43.65, followed by Selma Soreng who finished third.
