*CRPF, Himachal also strike gold
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 23: The Army made a commanding start to the Gulmarg leg of the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2026, clinching three of the five gold medals as competitions commenced on the snow-covered slopes today. CRPF and Himachal Pradesh also secured top podium finishes on an eventful opening day.
The day belonged largely to the Army contingent, which stamped its authority early in the Nordic skiing events.
Kathua skier Sunny Singh struck the first gold in the men’s 1.5 km sprint, clocking 3:06.83 seconds.
Trained at the High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg, Sunny led an Army clean sweep, with Shubam Parihar and Manjeet finishing second and third respectively.
In snowboarding (men’s slalom), Army riders Vivek Rana and Kulvinder Sharma secured gold and silver, while J&K’s Vikar Ahmad Lone claimed bronze.
The Army continued its dominance in the men’s Alpine Giant Slalom, where Mayank Panwar won gold ahead of teammates Baqir Hussain and Devendra Gurung.
CRPF and Himachal Pradesh also made their presence felt with strong performances in women’s events.
CRPF’s Kajal Kumari Rai delivered a stirring performance in the women’s 15 km Nordic skiing (cross-country) event at the Gulmarg Golf Course, finishing in 52:08.29 seconds to clinch gold.
Renu Danu, also of CRPF, bagged silver, while Karnataka’s seasoned campaigner Bhavani Thekkada Nanjunda had to settle for bronze.
An emotional Kajal dedicated her medal to her father, who passed away in February last year.
Bhavani, who had secured a hat-trick of gold medals at KIWG 2025, was widely considered the favourite going into the race.
In the women’s Alpine Giant Slalom on the Kongdoori slopes, Himachal Pradesh’s Sandhya Thakur edged out compatriot Aanchal Thakur in a tightly contested race, clocking 1:23.285 seconds to claim gold.
Aanchal finished second, while 17-year-old Jiah Aryan of Karnataka secured bronze in only her second appearance at the Winter Games.
The opening day saw several established names challenged by emerging talents who have been steadily rising on the national circuit, signalling a generational shift in Indian winter sports.
Despite relatively warm conditions and melting snow in Gulmarg this week, competitions proceeded smoothly, drawing participation from athletes across the country in Nordic skiing, snowboarding and Alpine skiing disciplines.
The Gulmarg leg of the Khelo India Winter Games will continue over the next three days, featuring around 800 participants, including more than 300 athletes competing across multiple snow sport disciplines.
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