Kashmir: CRPF Constable Renu Danu Wins Three Silvers at Khelo India Winter Games 2026 | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Constable Renu Danu of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) secured three silver medals at the Khelo India Winter Games 2026 in Gulmarg, marking a significant milestone in her rapid rise in winter sports.

Danu clinched silver in the women’s Nordic 15-km, women’s Nordic 1.5-km Sprint, and women’s Ski Mountaineering Relay events, just two years after first encountering snow during her posting in Kashmir.

Originally from Haldwani in Uttarakhand, Danu joined the CRPF as a Constable General Duty in 2021. In 2024, following her posting to Srinagar, she began training in winter sports at Gulmarg. Despite limited experience and just a month of preparation, she completed her debut races at the 2024 edition of the Games.

In 2025, she showed marked improvement, finishing fourth in a Nordic event and winning silver in Ski Mountaineering Relay. The same year, she secured gold at the National Winter Biathlon Championship held in Gulmarg.

Training at the Army’s High Altitude Warfare School under Olympian coach Nadeem Iqbal, along with guidance from CRPF coach K Shukla and team manager Magesh K. Danu steadily developed technical proficiency in Nordic skiing and ski mountaineering disciplines.

CRPF coach K Shukla said Danu had demonstrated an exceptional work ethic since taking up the sport. “When she began, she had no background in winter sports. Her progress over two years reflects her discipline and commitment,” he said.

Danu has highlighted the need for year-round training infrastructure, including artificial snow tracks and improved gym facilities, noting that current training opportunities are largely limited to two winter months annually.

She has expressed her intention to compete in International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) races and aims to represent India at the World Championships and the Winter Olympics.

From her first exposure to snow at age 24 to standing on the podium at 26, Danu’s performance at the 2026 Games underscores the expanding participation of security personnel and athletes from non-traditional winter sports backgrounds in India’s competitive winter landscape.