Khelo India Winter Games 2026 Open in Ladakh, Marking New Era for Ice Sports

The Ladakh leg of KIWG 2026, focused on ice sports such as ice hockey and skating, will run until 26 January, while the snow sports leg is scheduled to take place later this year in Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir.

The sixth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2026 was officially inaugurated on Tuesday at the Nawang Dorjan Stobdan (NDS) Stadium, signalling a major step forward in India’s ambition to build a competitive, technology-enabled winter sports ecosystem rooted in the Himalayas.

The Ladakh leg of KIWG 2026, focused on ice sports such as ice hockey and skating, will run until 26 January, while the snow sports leg is scheduled to take place later this year in Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir. This marks the third time Ladakh has hosted the Winter Games, underscoring its emergence as a national hub for high-altitude and winter sports.

The Games were declared open by the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Shri Kavinder Gupta, during a vibrant opening ceremony featuring traditional Ladakhi music and dance, alongside an exhibition ice hockey match between Army XI and UT Ladakh. The event is being organised by the UT Ladakh Department of Youth Services and Sports, under the supervision of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), with technical support from national ice-sports federations.

Building Winter Sports from the Himalayas Outward

In a message to Ladakh, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said the successful hosting of KIWG reflects a decisive policy shift towards structured, long-term development of winter sports in India.

“The Khelo India Winter Games send a clear national signal that winter sports are now an integral part of India’s competitive sporting framework,” Mandaviya said, adding that the two-leg format — ice sports in Leh and snow events in Gulmarg — mirrors international competition standards and provides athletes with sustained, high-quality exposure.

He emphasised that such domestic platforms are critical if India is to move beyond sporadic participation and build consistency and credibility in winter Olympic disciplines.

Ladakh’s Growing Sports Infrastructure and Policy Push

Addressing the gathering, Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta highlighted how Ladakh has benefitted from the national push on sports under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting that hosting KIWG for three consecutive years reflects confidence in the region’s capabilities.

He also outlined Ladakh’s first-ever Sports Policy, which introduces a comprehensive framework covering:

• School-level talent identification

• Inclusive participation for women and Divyang athletes

• Expansion of international-standard sports infrastructure

• Centres of excellence and advanced training programmes

• Scholarships, cash awards, and 4% reservation in government jobs for sportspersons

• Integration of sports with education and promotion of sports tourism

Figure Skating Debuts, Participation Scales Up

KIWG 2026 will feature 1,060 participants, including 480 athletes, competing across three venues — the upgraded NDS Stadium, Gupukh’s Pond, and the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre rink. Notably, figure skating, an Olympic discipline where Indian athletes are making international progress, is making its KIWG debut, adding a new dimension to the Games.

Senior dignitaries present at the opening included Dr Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC Kargil; Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra; and senior officials from SAI and the UT administration.

Call to Action for Sports-Tech and High-Altitude Innovation Partners

With winter sports gaining institutional backing, India is opening new opportunities for sports-tech startups, performance analytics firms, ice-rink technology providers, sports science institutions, and broadcasters to partner in areas such as athlete monitoring, cold-climate training systems, event tech, and sports tourism platforms.

The Khelo India Winter Games 2026 position Ladakh not just as a host, but as a living laboratory for India’s winter sports future.