Mansukh Mandaviya, the minister of sports, is scheduled to announce the opening of the Leh games on Thursday.
19 competing teams will send 428 athletes to the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025, which begin on Thursday. On Thursday, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is scheduled to announce the opening of the games in Leh. The first portion of KIWG 2025 will feature a five-day competition between 19 teams from states, Union Territories, and institutional organizations in two events: ice hockey and ice skating. There will be a traditional Ladakhi-style opening ceremony to greet 594 people, including 428 athletes.
Jammu and Kashmir will host the second section, which will include snow sports like skiing, from February 22 to 25.
“Sports Minister will attend the opening ceremony at the iconic Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Sports Complex in Leh on Thursday and will declare the games open,” according to an official spokesperson.
Numerous dignitaries, including Brigadier Dr. BD Mishra, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, and top representatives from the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and the Sports Authority of India, will accompany Mandaviya.
According to the spokeswoman, this will be Ladakh’s second time hosting the Winter Games, which are currently in their fifth iteration.At an elevation of 11,562 feet, all teams have reached Leh. The greatest contingent, with 78 athletes and support personnel, is from Himachal Pradesh,” he continued.
The Ladakh edition will include competition from Haryana (62), hosts Ladakh (52), and Maharashtra (48). The smallest team, consisting of only one athlete, is Uttarakhand, which will host the National Games later this month.
According to the spokesperson, the fifth Khelo India Winter Games will take place in two parts in Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, from January 23 to 27 and February 22 to 25, respectively. The competition will feature two ice and four snow disciplines.
In addition to spotting talent, the Khelo India Winter Games seek to promote tourism through sports and highlight a region’s art, culture, and legacy.
A number of juvenile skaters will participate in short- and long-form skating competitions at Gupuks Pond and the Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Sports Complex.
The NDS Complex and the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Center will host ice hockey games.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI), with assistance from national sports federations, will oversee the technical conduct of the events.Doordarshan Sports will provide live coverage of the KIWG opening ceremony, and until January 27, events will be aired live every day.
Maharashtra took home 20 skating medals from KIWG 2024, including six golds.
Despite winning six golds as well, Karnataka came in second place with eight medals overall, whereas Maharashtra had twenty. With 13 total medals, hosts Ladakh, who made history with two Khelo India golds in speed skating, came in third. It is anticipated that teams from the Army, ITBP, Himachal Pradesh, and UT-Ladakh will compete aggressively for the title of best ice hockey team.
ITBP, the current women’s champions, and the Army, the defending men’s champions, have dominated the Khelo India Winter Games and national competitions.
