Gulmarg: The second leg of the 5th Khelo India Winter Games, scheduled to begin here on Saturday, has been postponed due to insufficient snowfall in the region.
The new dates for the event will be announced once the weather improves and a fresh assessment is completed.
“The Jammu and Kashmir leg of the Khelo India Winter Games has been postponed,” a sports ministry source said.
Gulmarg was scheduled to hold the snow events, including alpine skiing, nordic skiing, ski mountaineering, and snowboarding.
Leh hosted the first phase of the Games in which ice events (hockey and skating) took place from January 23 to 27.
In the first leg, Ladakh bagged seven medals, including four gold, followed by Tamil Nadu with five medals, including three gold. Maharashtra finished with the highest number of medals (10), but with only two gold medals, they finished third. Maharashtra finished on top in KIWG 2023, winning 20 skating medals, including six gold. Telangana (2 gold) finished fourth, and Karnataka (1 gold) finished fifth in KIWG 2024.
The Khelo India Winter Games started in 2020. Almost 1,000 athletes, including 306 women, participated in the inaugural edition. Participation has increased over the years, with more than 1,350 athletes in 2021 and over 1,500 in 2022, highlighting the growing attraction of the Games in J&K.
The 2023 iteration of KIWG saw the participation of over 1,200 participants, including more than 700 athletes, 141 support staff, 113 technical officials, 250-plus volunteers, and sports-specific volunteers, with a total of 136 medals at stake.
This was also the first time that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, along with the Sports Authority of India, managed the technical conduct of the Games in association with the National Sports Federations and Indian Olympic Association.
Insufficient Snow Forces Postponing Of KIWG In Gulmarg
