Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg Delayed Due to Lack of Snow
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Synopsis
The second phase of the 5th edition of Khelo India Winter Games, set for Gulmarg from February 22, has been postponed due to inadequate snowfall. The J&K Sports Council will reassess snow conditions and provide further updates.
Key Takeaways
- Gulmarg event postponed due to snowfall issues.
- J&K Sports Council announced the delay via social media.
- Last year's games also faced similar rescheduling.
- First leg held in Leh featured ice sports.
- Ladakh performed well with multiple medals.
Srinagar, Feb 17 (NationPress) The second segment of the 5th edition of the Khelo India Winter Games, which was to take place in Gulmarg from February 22, has been delayed due to a lack of adequate snowfall.
The J&K Sports Council announced this development via social media on Monday. "The 5th edition of the Khelo India Winter Games, originally scheduled for February 22-25, 2025, has been postponed because of insufficient snowfall. A fresh evaluation will be carried out when snow conditions improve, and a new update will be provided accordingly," they stated on X.
This is the second consecutive year that the event has had to be rescheduled due to insufficient snowfall. Last year, the games were also pushed to February after a dry January.
The first segment of the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025 took place in Leh from January 23 to 27, featuring ice sports like ice hockey and ice skating.
During the first segment, Ladakh secured seven medals, including four gold, followed by Tamil Nadu with five medals, three of which were gold. Maharashtra finished with the highest total of medals (10), but only two golds, placing them in third. Maharashtra topped the KIWG 2024 with 20 skating medals, including six gold. Telangana (2 gold) secured fourth place, while Karnataka (1 gold) came fifth in KIWG 2025.
The Khelo India Winter Games began in 2020, with nearly 1000 athletes, including 306 women, participating in the inaugural edition. Participation has risen over the years, with more than 1350 athletes in 2021 and over 1500 in 2022, highlighting the growing appeal of the Games in J&K.
The 2024 edition of KIWG boasted participation from over 1200 individuals, including more than 700 athletes, 141 support staff, 113 technical officials, over 250 volunteers, and a total of 136 medals available.
This year (2024) also marked the first time the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, along with the Sports Authority of India, oversaw the technical execution of the Games in collaboration with the National Sports Federations and the Indian Olympic Association.
