Leh (Ladakh), Jan 19: The 2026 edition of the Khelo India Winter Games will get underway in Leh on Tuesday, with Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya urging athletes to make the most of the growing opportunities in winter sports.
More than 1,000 men and women from 21 states and Union Territories will compete in the Ladakh leg of the Games, which runs till January 26 under challenging high-altitude conditions.
The competitions will be spread across the Nawang Dorjan Stobdan (NDS) Stadium, the Army rink and the frozen Gupukh's Pond, with the opening ceremony scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. A total of 472 athletes will feature in two ice sports-ice skating and ice hockey-with the introduction of figure skating, an Olympic
discipline, adding a significant new dimension to this year's programme.
Hosts Ladakh, who topped the medal tally in the Ladakh leg last season with four gold medals out of 13, will once again aim to dominate on home ice, with Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra having finished second and third in the previous edition.
The first leg of KIWG 2026 is being organised by the Youth Services and Sports Department of the Union Territory of Ladakh under the supervision of the Sports Authority of India, with technical expertise provided by national federations governing ice sports. The Leh Games are the second event on the Khelo India calendar this year, following the successful staging of the Khelo India Beach Games in Diu earlier this month.
Highlighting the broader vision behind the Games, Mandaviya said the consistent expansion of the Khelo India programme has helped integrate winter sports into India's domestic competition framework.
"The year has begun with strong momentum for Indian sport, with two Khelo India Games being conducted in the opening month. The Khelo India Winter Games now add another important dimension, creating avenues for athletes to compete and excel in winter sports, an area that has historically seen limited competitive exposure in India," the minister said. He added that it was due to the government's sustained efforts that India now hosts a national-level, multi-sport Winter Games on a fixed annual calendar.
While ice hockey continues to be the showpiece sport in Ladakh, the inclusion of figure skating has generated considerable interest. India's growing footprint in the discipline was evident at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin last year, where the country sent its largest-ever contingent of 59 athletes, including 23 ice skaters. US-based Tara Prasad finished eighth overall, India's best-ever result in figure skating at the Asian Games, while Manjesh Tiwari placed 15th in the men's category.
Senior national coach Mohammad Abbas Nordak described the 2026 edition as a landmark for Indian winter sports. "In Harbin, we may not have won medals but we have shown that we can compete. More competition means more opportunities and that's why this edition of Khelo India Winter Games is a milestone," he said.
Mandaviya also outlined an ambitious road ahead for the Khelo India programme, with multiple formats lined up over the coming months, beginning with the Khelo India Tribal Games next month. "The Khelo India calendar has now been finalised and institutionalised. This fixed competition cycle will be a game changer, strengthening the domestic sporting ecosystem and providing multiple opportunities for deserving athletes to compete, progress and achieve excellence," he said.
Haryana (62 athletes), Himachal Pradesh (55) and hosts Ladakh (52) have the largest representation at the Games. A total of 17 gold medals will be on offer in the Ladakh leg, with 15 in ice skating, setting the stage for an intense battle as athletes test their skills and endurance in sub-zero temperatures and low-oxygen conditions in the Himalayas.
