The Army made a strong start on Day 1 of the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) by clinching three of the five gold medals up for grabs on Monday. The CRPF and Himachal Pradesh also won one gold medal each at the conclusion of the Day 1 events. The games have attracted large crowds and are proceeding with full enthusiasm despite unusually warm February conditions.
Day 1 largely belonged to the Army contingent, which dominated the Nordic skiing events. With Kathua’s skier Sunny Singh winning the first gold in the men’s 1.5 km sprint, clocking 3:06.83 seconds. The Army also clinched silver and bronze in the same event, making a clean sweep.
In the men’s slalom snowboarding event, Army riders Vivek Rana and Kulvinder Sharma secured gold and silver, while J&K’s Vikar Ahmad Lone won the bronze medal. The dominance continued in the Alpine Giant Slalom, where Mayank Panwar won gold ahead of teammates Baqir Hussain and Devendra Gurung.
The CRPF and Himachal Pradesh dominated in the female events in Nordic skiing (cross-country) and Alpine Giant Slalom events. CRPF's Kajal Kumari won gold in the women’s 15 km Nordic skiing (cross-country), while her teammate Renu Danu bagged silver, with Karnataka’s seasoned campaigner Bhavani Thekkada winning the bronze.
The opening day saw a new breed of athletes challenging the seasoned campaigners with some stellar performances on the snow slopes. The ongoing KIWG 2026 games in Gulmarg will continue until Thursday, featuring some 800 athletes, including more than 300 competing across multiple snow sport disciplines.
Also read: J&K CM calls for 'artificial snow' to promote Gulmarg skiing
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