Destination Olympics: At KIWG 2026, Country’s New Generation of Winter Sports Athletes Rises in Gulmarg
- Born for the Tropics, 17-Year-Old Jiah Aryan Brought Bengaluru to the Slopes
- CRPF Skier Renu Danu Compressed an Olympic Cycle in 2 Years Winning 3 Silvers
- From the Western Ghats to Winter Gold, Kaamya Karthikeyan Strikes Historic
- Kajal Kumari Rai Makes Powerful Statement With Two Golds in Two Races
- Experience Meets Redemption in Aanchal Thakur’s Golden Turn
- Zubair Ahmad Lone Makes Loud Message with J&K’s Only Gold
Gulmarg (Jammu & Kashmir), Feb. 28: From February 23 to 26, the meadow-turned-arena in Gulmarg hosted the 6th edition of the Khelo India Winter Games. While the usual heavyweights carved familiar arcs across the slopes, something quieter yet electric was unfolding — a new generation was arriving.
They came with borrowed skis, southern accents, paramilitary grit, and dreams too large to fit inside Kashmir’s white silence. By the time the flags were lowered, they had left tracks no snowfall could erase.
Jiah Aryan: Blueprint Thinking at 17
Jiah Aryan, a 17-year-old from Bengaluru, clinched two bronze medals in Alpine Slalom and Giant Slalom. She didn’t ski defensively — she attacked the course with poise beyond her years.
Her journey began at the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports (JIM&WS) and later continued at the Kron Platz Racing Centre in Italy. Supported by the Reliance Foundation, she balances elite sport with academics at NIOS Regional Centre Bengaluru.
“I want to be the first Indian female winter sports athlete to win a gold medal.”
Renu Danu: Velocity in Motion
The CRPF athlete saw snow for the first time just two years ago. At KIWG 2026, she won three silver medals in Nordic 15-km, Nordic 1.5-km Sprint, and Ski Mountaineering Relay — compressing an Olympic cycle into just 24 months.
Kaamya Karthikeyan: Breaking Geography
The 19-year-old from Maharashtra won gold in Ski Mountaineering, marking a historic first for her state at the Khelo India Winter Games.
Kajal Kumari Rai: Nordic Double Gold
The CRPF’s Kajal Kumari Rai from Meghalaya dominated Nordic events, winning gold in the women’s 15-km and 10-km sprint races.
Aanchal Thakur: Experience Meets Redemption
The 29-year-old from Himachal Pradesh claimed her first gold in Giant Slalom (Alpine Skiing), blending experience with unfinished ambition.
Zubair Ahmad Lone: Home Snow, Heavy Statement
Zubair Ahmad Lone delivered Jammu & Kashmir its only gold medal of the edition in Snowboarding Giant Slalom, making a powerful statement on home snow.
The National Vision
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, linked the Games to India’s 2047 “Viksit Bharat” vision. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed intent to host the 2036 Olympic Games under the proposed “Khelo Bharat Niti.”
Winter sports in India are no longer niche. The Khelo India Winter Games are not yet an Olympic medal factory — but they are a proving ground. India is no longer just participating in winter sport. It is preparing.