- Armymen ended the domination of Jammu & Kashmir in the fourth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games in 2024
- Army will defend their team championship crown when KIWG 2026 begins on Monday (Feb 23)
Gulmarg (Jammu & Kashmir), Feb. 21: By the time the bugle echoes across the frozen valley, the contest is usually already decided. From the high-altitude rinks of Leh to the powder-white slopes of Gulmarg, one constant has defined the modern era of the Khelo India Winter Games – the quiet, disciplined dominance of the Indian Army.
As the Gulmarg leg of the sixth edition of KIWG unfolds on Monday, the Army’s story is no longer about participation. It is about supremacy. Launched in 2020 under the Government of India’s flagship Khelo India initiative, the winter games were designed to mainstream snow and ice sports in a country more fluent in cricket than cross-country skiing.
Yet in just six editions, the Games have carved out an alpine mythology of their own. And in that mythology, the Army is the protagonist – not loud, not theatrical, but relentless.
From Contender to Champion
The first three editions of 2020, 2021 and 2023 were hosted and won by Jammu and Kashmir. With Gulmarg’s pristine slopes and Leh’s frozen expanses serving as both battleground and home advantage, the hosts capitalised on familiarity and altitude. The Army was competitive then, but not yet imperial. That would change soon.
The 2024 Khelo India Winter Games saw the ‘coup’ as the Army stormed the standings with authority, winning 10 gold, 5 silver, and 6 bronze medals. It was not just a medal haul. It was a declaration. Snow and ice were not obstacles; they were natural habitats. It wasn’t just a victory. It was a blueprint.
By the fifth edition in 2025, the Army had evolved from contender to benchmark. They topped the table with 18 medals – 7 gold, 5 silver, and 6 bronze. Himachal Pradesh matched the total medal count, but gold decides championships in KIWG’s team format. The Army had more.
Olive Over White
Gulmarg was painted white in snow. The podiums, however, turned olive green.
In Nordic skiing at KIWG 2025, the Army executed one of the most clinical sweeps in the Games’ history, claiming every medal in all three men’s races – the 1.4 km sprint, the 10 km race, and the 15 km race.
In the 1.4 km sprint, Manjeet won gold, Shubam Parihar silver, and Sunny Singh bronze. The pattern repeated in the 10 km and 15 km races. In men’s Alpine skiing, Sunil Kumar clinched gold.
Kumar credited the ecosystem: “The Army backs its athletes fully – financially, structurally, and psychologically. In endurance sports where oxygen thins and lactic acid burns, belief is as crucial as balance.”
The System Behind the Success
Indian Army coach Nadeem Iqbal Mirza attributed the dominance to institutional backing and year-round preparation.
“It is possible due to the year-round rigorous training schedule and the full support of the institution of the Indian Army to the athletes,” Mirza said.
When snow melts from the Pir Panjal in summer, Army athletes switch to roller skiing, gym conditioning, and altitude endurance cycles. Their infrastructure — snow groomers, scooters, ski lifts — creates near-European training environments in Himalayan terrain. Athletes have also trained internationally in Italy and Sweden over the last three years.
Local skier Arif Ahmad adds terrain familiarity to the explanation. “Soldiers stationed for years in Kashmir and Ladakh understand the slopes, snow behaviour, and weather shifts. They live in the altitude others visit,” he said.
Institutional Rivalries and Ice Battles
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) often challenges strongly in women’s events, adding an institutional rivalry. But in men’s disciplines, the Army has largely dictated terms.
The sixth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games began on January 20 in Leh, Ladakh. Phase I featured ice hockey and skating, with figure skating added for the first time. At the Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Stadium, the Army retained its men’s ice hockey crown, edging Chandigarh 3-2 in a dramatic final.
Eyes on KIWG 2026 Crown
Phase II now shifts to Gulmarg’s Kangdoori Phase 1 and Golf Course Club for alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, ski mountaineering, and snowboarding. If history is any guide, this is where olive green tightens its grip.
Across the last two completed editions, the Army won 39 medals — 21 in 2024 (10 gold) and 18 in 2025 (7 gold). With 17 gold medals in two years, no other institutional team has matched their sustained dominance.
Beyond Medals: Expanding Winter Sports
The Chinar Open Winter Games 2026, organised under the aegis of the Dagger Division of Chinar Corps, recently concluded in Gulmarg with a record 660 participants. The event highlighted the Army’s grassroots push to develop winter sports in Kashmir.
Beyond podium finishes, the Army continues to nurture local talent and position Gulmarg as a premier winter sports destination. As KIWG 2026 begins, the defending champions are not merely participating — they are protecting a crown.