Tourist hotspot Gulmarg hosts second leg of Khelo India Winter Games

Gulmarg in Kashmir, all-time favourite with tourists and once with Bollywood producers too, dug its flag in deep on the sporting map as host of the second and final leg of the Khelo India Winter Games 2024, which commenced at the iconic Gulmarg Club on Wednesday, 21 February.

The first part of the Khelo India Winter Games, now in its second edition, was held in Ladakh (for the first time) from 2–6 February.

Gulmarg is to stage four events — ski mountaineering, Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and snowboarding.

On the first day, Nordic skiing saw Army men sweeping all three top positions on one side. On the other, Karnataka—which also clinched six skating gold medals in Ladakh—made a strong start in Gulmarg, as Bhavani Thekkada won the women’s Nordic skiing sprint (1.6 km) gold. Selma Soreng and Sapna of ITBP finished second and third, respectively.

Speaking in a video message, Anurag Thakur, Union minister for sports and youth affairs, said India would try to leave a footprint in the Winter Olympics and the Khelo India initiative was a step in that direction.

Only a handful of Indian competitors have appeared in the Winter Olympics so far, including 16-year-old Shiva Keshavan in the 1998 Winter Olympics and Alpine skier Arif Mohammed Khan at the 2022 Winter Games.

"Khelo India is not just about participation," said Thakur, "It’s about providing quality training, infrastructure and exposure to empower you to achieve your dreams. The experience you gain here will propel you forward for national glory or international," Thakur said.

Manoj Sinha, Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, said at the inauguration that he was expecting some solid competition: “It is a momentous occasion for athletes who have been preparing for this spectacular event. The Games, over the next four days, will honour their hard work, skills, dedication and sporting excellence while it will renew the spirit of brotherhood, peace and harmony among all the teams,” Sinha said.

Maharashtra, incidentally, tops the medal tally after the first stage of the Games, in Ladakh.