Leh/Jammu: The Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025 that starts on Thursday will feature 428 athletes from 19 competing teams.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is set to declare the Games open in Leh on Thursday.
Nineteen teams, comprising states, Union Territories, and institutional outfits, will compete over five days across two events – ice hockey and ice skating – marking the first part of KIWG 2025.
A traditional Ladakhi-style opening ceremony has been planned to welcome 594 participants, including 428 athletes.
The second part, featuring snow games like skiing, will be hosted by Jammu and Kashmir from February 22 to 25.
“Sports Minister will attend the opening ceremony at the iconic Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Sports Complex in Leh on Thursday and will declare the games open,” an official spokesperson said.
Mandaviya will be joined by a host of dignitaries, including the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier Dr BD Mishra, and senior officials from the Sports Authority of India and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
This will be the second time Ladakh hosts the Winter Games, now in its fifth edition, the spokesperson said.
“All teams have arrived in Leh, which is at an altitude of 11,562 feet. Himachal Pradesh has the largest contingent, comprising 78 athletes and support staff,” he added.
Haryana (62), hosts Ladakh (52), and Maharashtra (48) will compete in the Ladakh edition. Uttarakhand, which will host the National Games later this month, has the smallest team, comprising just one athlete.
The fifth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games will be held across two phases in Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, from January 23 to 27 and February 22 to 25, respectively, covering two ice and four snow disciplines, the spokesperson said.
Apart from identifying talent, the Khelo India Winter Games aim to showcase a region’s art, culture, heritage, and promote tourism through sports.
Several young skaters will compete at the Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Sports Complex and Gupuks Pond, the venues for short- and long-form skating events.
Ice hockey matches will be played at the NDS Complex and the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre.
The technical conduct of the events will be supervised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) with support from national sports federations.
The KIWG opening ceremony will be covered live by Doordarshan Sports, and events will be live-streamed daily until January 27.
In KIWG 2024, Maharashtra won 20 skating medals, including six golds.
Karnataka also secured six golds but finished second with eight total medals, compared to Maharashtra’s 20. Hosts Ladakh, who made history with two Khelo India golds in speed skating, finished third with 13 medals overall.
The ice hockey competition is expected to be fiercely contested, with teams from the Army, ITBP, Himachal Pradesh, and UT-Ladakh vying for supremacy.
The Army, defending men’s champions, and ITBP, reigning women’s titleholders, have dominated national and Khelo India Winter Games events.
