KIWG 2025: Indian Army Kicks Off Title Defense with 7 Medals on Day 1
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Synopsis
On March 9, 2025, the Indian Army launched their title defense at the Khelo India Winter Games, earning a remarkable four out of twelve medals, including two golds, two silvers, and three bronzes. Himachal Pradesh and the UT of Jammu & Kashmir also performed admirably, contributing to an exciting Day 1.
Key Takeaways
- Indian Army secured four medals on Day 1.
- Sunny Singh and Manjeet excelled in Nordic skiing.
- Bhavani Thekkada continued her winning streak.
- UT of Ladakh leads the medal tally.
- Thrilling performances from multiple states.
Gulmarg, March 9 (NationPress) The Indian Army, the reigning champions, commenced their Khelo India Winter Games 2025 journey in a dominant manner, securing four out of the twelve medals available here on Sunday. The Army claimed two gold, two silver, and three bronze medals, while Himachal Pradesh brought home one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal.
Local hosts, the UT of Jammu & Kashmir, managed to capture one gold and one silver medal, making for a thrilling start to the second leg of the Khelo India Winter Games.
The Indian Army showcased their strength in the Nordic skiing men's 10km event, winning all three medals. Sunny Singh earned the gold, Manjeet took the silver, and Raj Din secured the bronze.
In the Nordic skiing women's 5km event, Bhavani Thekkada from Karnataka clinched gold with a remarkable time of 17:43.47. The 28-year-old certified trainer and mountaineer was the only athlete to achieve a hattrick of gold medals in Gulmarg during the last Khelo India Winter Games. The ITBP duo of Selma Soreng and Kusum Rana earned silver and bronze medals, respectively.
In the ski mountaineering men's sprint event, Rajeshwar Singh led the Indian Army to victory, capturing gold with a time of 15 minutes 13.40 seconds. Siddharth Gadekar secured Maharashtra's only medal, winning silver with a time of 15:30.91, while Uttarakhand’s Mayank Dimri took home the bronze.
In the alpine skiing men’s slalom, Yogesh Kumar from Himachal Pradesh won gold, followed by the Army's Jigmet Rafastan (silver) and Bakir Hussain (bronze) in a 2-3 podium finish.
In the men's slalom snowboarding event, local favorites Mehrajuddin Khan and Zubair Ahmad Lone achieved a 1-2 finish for the hosts, with Army’s Vivek Rana taking the bronze medal.
In the women's slalom snowboarding event, Menka Gunjiyal from Uttarakhand dominated the race, capturing gold with a stellar time of 24:44.90. The pair of Sakshi Thakur and Natasha Mahar from Himachal Pradesh secured silver and bronze medals, respectively, contributing to the state's total of three medals on Sunday.
As a result of today’s performances, the UT of Ladakh leads the medal tally with four gold, two silver, and one bronze medals, followed closely by the Indian Army with three gold, three silver, and two bronze medals. Previously, the UT of Ladakh topped the first chapter with a total of seven medals, followed by Tamil Nadu with five medals, including three gold. Maharashtra had the highest number of medals (10) but only two golds, finishing third.
