Army Leads Medal Tally at Khelo India Winter Games 2026 in Gulmarg
Army Dominates Day 2 of Khelo India Winter Games
On a day filled with accolades, the Army secured its fourth gold medal during the Gulmarg segment of the Khelo India Winter Games 2026, positioning itself at the top of the medal standings on Tuesday. The event is organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council.
Five additional medals were awarded on the second day of the KIWG 2026. A standout performance came from Nordic skier Kajal Kumari Rai of the CRPF, who clinched her second consecutive gold medal. To date, ten gold medals have been awarded in the Gulmarg leg, with the Army increasing its total to five, having previously won four. The Army also took home the men's ice hockey gold during the Ladakh leg of the KIWG 2026. Haryana remains in second place with four gold medals, all earned by their skaters in Leh, while Maharashtra trails closely behind with three golds. Kamiyaa Karthikeyan secured Maharashtra's first gold in the ski mountaineering (vertical) event on the slopes of Kongdoori in Gulmarg, as reported by SAI Media.
Aanchal Thakur Triumphs in Alpine Skiing
Veteran skier Aanchal Thakur has garnered significant attention, having won her first gold of KIWG 2026 in the giant slalom event with a time of 48.984 seconds. Her teammate, Tanuja Thakur, earned the silver medal, while Karnataka's promising skier, Jiah Aryan, also secured a podium finish.
Kajal Rai Shines in Nordic Skiing
Kajal Kumari Rai continues to impress, with the recent loss of her father seemingly fueling her determination. She claimed her second consecutive gold in the women's 10 km Nordic event, finishing ahead of Karnataka's Bhavani Thekkada Nanjunda, who took home the bronze. The silver medal was awarded to Hiral from the CRPF.
In the men's 10 km Nordic race, the Army's Padma Namgail led a remarkable performance, achieving a one-two-three finish for the team at the Gulmarg Golf Course. The Army dominated the event, securing the top nine positions, with Sunny Singh, the defending champion who won the Nordic sprint gold on Monday, finishing in sixth place.
Final Results from Day 2
*RESULTS Day 2 (all finals):
- ALPINE GIANT SLALOM (women): 1. Aanchal Thakur (Himachal Pradesh) 48.984 sec 2. Tanuja Thakur (HP) 51.697 secs 3. Jiah Aryan (Karnataka) 53.790 secs.
- NORDIC SKI (women - 10 km): 1. Kajal Kumari Rai (CRPF) 32:58.76 secs 2. Hiral (CRPF) 33:14.89 secs 3. Bhavani Thekkada Nanjunda (Karnataka) 33:22.03 secs.
- NORDIC SKI (men - 10 km): 1. Padma Namgail (Army) 23:18.63 secs 2. Aman Kumar (Army) 23:22.24 secs 3. Manjeet (Army) 23:23.94 secs.
- SKI MOUNTAINEERING (Men - vertical): 1. Shardul Thaplial (Uttarakhand) 3:56.45 secs 2. Siddhartha Gadekar (Maharashtra) 4:09.80 secs 3. Santosh Moktan (Army) 4:14.82 secs.
- SKI MOUNTAINEERING (Women - vertical): 1. Kamiyaa Karthikeyan (Maharashtra) 05:26.708 secs 2. Natasha Mahar (Himachal Pradesh) 5:53.885 secs 3. Sangeeta Bhatt (Uttarakhand) 6:03.253 secs.