- Athletes from non-snow regions expand India’s winter sports horizon
- Gulmarg slopes fuel Olympic ambitions under Khelo India push
Gulmarg (Jammu & Kashmir): The snow-covered slopes of Gulmarg turned into a proving ground for India’s emerging winter athletes as the sixth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG), held from February 23 to 26, showcased a changing face of winter sport in the country — one no longer confined to the Himalayas.
Alongside competitors from traditional strongholds of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, athletes from tropical and non-snow regions stood on the podium, signalling a widening talent pool and a structured pathway toward international competition.
Seventeen-year-old Jiah Aryan from Bengaluru became one of the standout performers, winning bronze medals in both Slalom and Giant Slalom alpine skiing. Trained initially at the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering & Winter Sports (JIM&WS) in Gulmarg and later at the Kron Platz Racing Centre in Italy, she has emerged as one of India’s promising prospects in winter sports.
Currently studying through the National Institute of Open Schooling, Aryan balances academics with competitive training. Backed by the Reliance Foundation, she now trains with professional support that includes a physiotherapist, sports psychologist and nutritionist. “I want to become the first Indian female winter sports athlete to win Olympic gold,” she said.
If Aryan represented long-term grooming, CRPF skier Renu Danu symbolised rapid rise. Having encountered snow for the first time barely two years ago, she clinched three silver medals — Nordic 15-km, Nordic 1.5-km sprint and ski mountaineering relay — compressing years of development into a short span.
Nineteen-year-old Kaamya Karthikeyan of Maharashtra created history by winning gold in ski mountaineering, marking her state’s first such success at the Games and underlining how winter sports participation is expanding beyond mountain regions.
Another dominant performance came from CRPF athlete Kajal Kumari Rai of Meghalaya, who captured two gold medals in the women’s Nordic distance and sprint events. Veteran skier Aanchal Thakur of Himachal Pradesh added experience to the medal tally, winning her first Giant Slalom gold.
For the host region, Zubair Ahmad Lone provided a moment of celebration, securing Jammu & Kashmir’s lone gold medal by topping the Snowboarding Giant Slalom event on home snow.
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said the Games form part of a broader national vision of building sporting excellence as India works toward becoming a developed nation by 2047. The proposed “Khelo Bharat Niti” and discussions around hosting the 2036 Olympic Games aim to strengthen infrastructure, coaching and athlete development.
For four days, Gulmarg brought together teenagers, seasoned skiers and paramilitary athletes on the same slopes, supported by coaches, sports psychologists and structured training systems. The event highlighted a transition — from participation to preparation — as winter sports in India gradually move toward a competitive international pathway, with Gulmarg emerging as a key national hub.
