Ladakh secures runner-up spot
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
LEH, Jan 27: The Indian Army retained their men’s ice-hockey gold at the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2026, edging past a spirited Chandigarh side by 3-2 in a gripping final at the NDS Stadium.
Haryana emerged as overall champions of the Ladakh phase, while hosts Ladakh finished second.
The final delivered a dramatic finish, with the Army scoring the winning goal just three minutes from time before a capacity crowd at the 5,000-seat stadium.
Haryana clinched the team championship with four gold medals from figure skating and ice skating events.
Ladakh, Maharashtra and Telangana won two gold medals each, but were separated by their silver count.
Ladakh finished second with five silvers, followed by Maharashtra (three) and Telangana (two).
Chandigarh were the surprise package of the Games. After upsetting hosts Ladakh by 3-2 in the semifinals, the team-playing ice hockey only since KIWG 2025-pushed the experienced Army to the limit in the final.
Chandigarh fought back from a two-goal deficit and nearly forced extra time, a remarkable turnaround after losing by 10-1 to the Army in the league stage.
The Army took an early lead through Padma Namgail in the sixth minute, followed by Tsewang Dorjay’s goal in the 10th minute of the opening period.
The second period remained scoreless, with both teams producing clean, skill-based hockey.
Chandigarh mounted a strong comeback in the final quarter. Gurtej Singh Bhatti pulled one back before Birshahaanjit Singh equalised with a clever finish from behind the goal.
The goal was awarded after a lengthy video review. The Army responded with sustained pressure, and Padma Norboo struck the decisive long-range goal to seal the win.
“I feel we are the real winners,” said Chandigarh head coach Gaurav Raheja. “This journey has meant a lot to us. We will work harder and come back stronger.”
Birshahaanjit Singh credited his inline hockey background for his performance.
“This is only my second year on ice. We finished fifth last year and have made big progress. I believe we can fight for gold next year,” he said.
Army scorer Padma Namgail admitted his team was under pressure after Chandigarh’s comeback.
“We didn’t expect them to be this strong. Credit to them for their performance,” he said.
Earlier in the day, action began with the 2000m short-track mixed relay heats in ice skating. Six teams competed, with Maharashtra, Ladakh and Karnataka qualifying for the final.
Maharashtra dominated the race, winning gold in 3:22.47 seconds. Ladakh took silver, while Karnataka settled for bronze.
Ladakh’s Skarma Tsultim finished as the most decorated athlete of the Games, winning four medals, including two golds.
Ishaan Darvekar (Maharashtra), Nayana Sri Talluri (Telangana) and Sachin Singh (Haryana) claimed two golds each.
National coach Mohammad Abbas Nordak noted a marked improvement in standards. “Timing, technique and consistency were clearly better than previous editions. The next step is international exposure to help these skaters compete at a higher level,” he said.
Results In ice skating, Maharashtra won the 2000m Short Track Mixed Relay with a timing of 3:22.47, followed by Ladakh at 3:29.34 and Karnataka at 3:57.01. In the men’s ice-hockey final, the Indian Army defeated Chandigarh by 3-2.
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