Army makes rousing start, Himachal Pradesh, CRPF also among gold medals

Gulmarg, Feb 23: Army made an emphatic start to the Gulmarg leg of the Khelo India Winter Games, winning three of the five gold medals at stake on Day 1 on Monday.

CRPF and Himachal Pradesh also finished among the gold medals.

It was not a day for the favourites as veteran stars like Bhavani Thekkada Nanjunda of Karnataka and Aanchal Thakur of Himachal Pradesh were usurped by skiers who have been doing well in the national circuit.

Young Jiah Aryan, all of 17 and one of India’s upcoming talents in Alpine skiing from Karnataka, won a bronze in her second Khelo India Winter Games.

Jiah lined up against seniors like Aanchal and Sandhya Thakur, who have represented India at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin China last February.

Himachal Pradesh’s Sandhya beat Aanchal in a tight race on the Kongdoori slopes.

It was an emotional day for CRPF’s Kajal Kumari Rai, who won the gold in the 15km Nordic skiing (cross-country) for women at the Gulmarg Golf Course.

Kajal relegated hot-favourite Bhavani to the bronze in a brilliant finish. The Meghalaya-born Kajal dedicated her gold to her father who died last year in February. CRPF’s Renu Danu won the silver.

Bhavani has won a hattrick of gold medals in KIWG 2025.

Army’s Sunny Singh won the day’s first gold medal in the men’s sprint in Nordic skiing.

Sunny has been winning medals for Army at the KIWGs on a regular basis and on Monday, the Kathua skier, who has trained at the High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg, led an Army 1-2-3 in the opening event before the inauguration ceremony took place on the Golf Course.

Addressing the gathering at the inaugural ceremony, J&K Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha said this edition of the Khelo India Winter Games has been like a “relay race” since the Winter Olympics ended in Italy on Sunday and KIWG events started in Gulmarg on Monday.

“The Games are a classic example of national integration and displays the power of creativity through sports,” he said.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in his address urged athletes for better performances.

“We want another Arif Khan to be born here. We have had six editions of Khelo India Winter Games. Now it’s time to think how to win medals at least at the Asian level. The onus is on us to create the infrastructure to make Gulmarg an all-weather international ski destination,” he said.

RESULTS DAY 1 (ALL FINALS)

NORDIC SKIING

Men (Sprint, 1.5 km): 1. Sunny Singh (Army) 3:06.83 seconds 2. Shubam Parihar (Army) 3:07.35 secs 3. Manjeet (Army) 3:08.73 secs.

Women (15 km): 1. Kajal Kumari Rai (CRPF) 52:08.29 secs 2. Renu Danu (CRPF) 53:10.81 secs 3. Bhavani Thekkada Nanjunda (Karnataka) 53:20.44 secs.

SNOWBOARDING

(Men- Slalom): 1. Vivek Rana (Army) 01.01.439 secs 2. Kulvinder Sharma (Army) 01.02.854 secs 3. Vikar Ahmad Lone (J&K) 01.03.174 secs.

ALPINE GIANT SLALOM

(Men): 1. Mayank Panwar (Army) 01.06.479 secs. 2. Baqir Hussain (Army) 01.07.194 secs 3. Devendra Gurung (Army) 01.09.473 secs.

(Women): 1. Sandhya Thakur (Himachal Pradesh) 01.23.285 secs 2. Aanchal Thakur (HP) 01.23.985 secs 3. Jiah Aryan (Karnataka) 01.31.064 secs.