Haryana dominates figure skating, Ladakh thrills in Ice Hockey

Leh (Ladakh), Jan 21: The first gold medals of Khelo India Winter Games 2026 were decided at the Nawang Dorjan Stobdan (NDS) Stadium here on Wednesday. Of the four decided, all in figure skating, Haryana bagged two gold medals while Uttarakhand and Kerala bagged one each. Haryana are on top of the standing with five medals overall, including 1 silver and two bronze.

As per an official statement, figure skating made its debut in the Ladakh leg of the Khelo India Winter Games 2026. An Olympic event known for its grace and poise, 20 figure skaters from five states and two Union Territories took part in two categories – novice free skating and advanced short programme. The first gold was won by Hiya Adlakha of Haryana while Stanzin Khando and Tenzin Kunzin, both from Ladakh, won silver and bronze.

Hiya, 15-year-old, was raised in a sports-loving family. Her mother is an international gymnastics judge. Hiya chose a demanding and often solitary sports like figure skating. Frequently training alone due to limited coaching resources, Hiya was selected for an Olympic Council of Asia training camp in China and won a national gold medal in 2025. Competing in the Intermediate Novice category globally, Hiya continues to chase her dream of representing India at World Cups and the Olympics.

The performances of the figure skaters were judged on three aspects: composition, presentation and skating skills. The skaters were evaluated by a referee and a technical controller, both from Taipei. The Khelo India Winter Games is conducted by the Youth Services and Sports department of Ladakh in association with the Sports Authority of India. The technical conduct is overseen by National Sports Federations.

Adarsh Singh Rawat won the novice boys gold but it was the performance of the advanced boys and girls that was much anticipated. Haryana’s Gauri Rai, dressed in her turquoise blue attire, won the gold medal but in terms of quality, Kerala’s Abhijith Amal Raj was far superior than the others in all three aspects of the sport. There were nine competitors in the advanced boys section.

Gauri, a class XII student of Manav Rachna International School in Guru gram, clearly showed her experience at the NDS Stadium in Leh.