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Maiden Khelo India Winter Games get off to a musical start at Leh
At least 15 states and two public institutions are taking part in ice-hockey and ice-skating events over the next five days
The maiden Khelo India Winter Games 2024 get off to a musical start at the Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Stadium in Leh on Friday.
At least 15 states and two public institutions are taking part in ice-hockey and ice-skating events over the next five days. Lieutenant governor Brig BD Mishra (retd) was the chief guest on the occasion. The second part of the winter games will be held in Gulmarg, in Jammu and Kashmir from February 21 to 25.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a special message for the organisers.
In his address, PM Modi said that Khelo India was bringing India closer. “We just witnessed the conclusion of the highly successful Khelo India Youth Games in Tamil Nadu. From the southern to the northern tip, the journey and spirit of Khelo India continues unabated. The Khelo India Winter Games epitomises this spirit further, aiming to nurture champions and positions the regions of J&K and Ladakh as premier winter sports destinations globally,” said Modi.
Khelo India Centre of Excellence to come up in Ladakh
The Union Territory of Ladakh will now have a Khelo India Centre of Excellence. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Ladakh sports department on Friday.
L-G Mishra said in his address, “This MoU will help sportspersons from the region to get the right facilities and improve their standards. We want our athletes to learn from the best experts and reach international levels. This is certainly a significant milestone in the history of Ladakh sports.”
Despite the chilly weather, a motley turnout at the NDS Stadium saw traditional folk dances and were treated to some foot-tapping music by the popular local band Dashugs. An exhibition ice-hockey match between UT-Ladakh and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITCP) set the ball rolling. The match ended in a 0-0 draw.
A thrilling 500-metre short-track ice-skating by a team of girls from across India was applauded by the audience.
The first medals of the Khelo India Winter Games 2024 were decided. Eklavya Jagal of Uttar Pradesh won the gold in the under-17 short track (300m) skating for boys. He clocked 31.81 seconds. Maharashtra’s Aarav Patwardhan (32.03 seconds) and Advay Kothari (32.6 seconds) finished second and third, respectively.
In the boys’ 17-plus short track skating, Karnataka’s Akash Aradhya (32.81 seconds) won the gold medal. Maharashtra’s Sujoy Tapkir (33.33 seconds) and Sumit Tapkir (34.33 seconds) stood second and third, respectively.
