The much-awaited Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025 will kick off in Ladakh on Thursday, marking the start of the Khelo India season. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will inaugurate the event at the iconic Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Sports Complex in Leh.
With 19 teams from across states, UTs, and institutions, the five-day competition will include ice hockey and ice skating. The second phase of KIWG 2025, focused on snow sports like skiing, will be hosted in Jammu and Kashmir from February 22 to 25.
This is the second time Ladakh is hosting the Winter Games, now in its fifth edition. Young skaters will compete at the NDS Sports Complex and Gupuks Pond, the venues for short and long-form skating events, while ice hockey matches will take place at the NDS Complex and the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre.
The events will be managed technically by SAI in collaboration with national sports federations. A traditional Ladakhi-style opening ceremony will welcome 594 participants, including 428 athletes.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on Doordarshan Sports, with daily live streaming of the events continuing until January 27.
In KIWG 2024, Maharashtra excelled in skating, clinching 20 medals, including six golds. Karnataka also bagged six golds, finishing second with a total of eight medals, while host Ladakh achieved a historic milestone with two gold medals in speed skating, securing third place overall with 13 medals.
The ice hockey competition will see fierce rivalries, with teams from the Army, ITBP, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh competing for the top honors. The Army and ITBP, the defending men’s and women’s champions respectively, have dominated national and KIWG titles over the years.
All teams have arrived in Leh, located at an altitude of 11,562 feet. Himachal Pradesh leads with the largest contingent of 78 athletes and support staff, followed by Haryana (62), Ladakh (52), and Maharashtra (48).