GULMARG, Feb 25: The Army and Himachal Pradesh athletes dominated Day 3 of the Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg on Wednesday, as Jammu and Kashmir claimed its maiden gold medal at the ongoing edition.
With Nordic and Alpine events underway, competitors from various states, Union Territories, and paramilitary forces battled tough conditions on the snow-clad slopes of the north Kashmir resort.
Officials informed Kashmir Convener that the Ski Mountaineering events at Kangdoori featured high-intensity sprint finishes on Wednesday. In the Women’s Sprint, athletes from Himachal Pradesh claimed the top two positions. Sakshi Thakur clocked 04:42.37 to clinch the gold medal, followed by her state-mate Natasha Mahar (04:48.03), who took silver. Ladakh’s Stanzin Yangzom completed the podium, securing a bronze medal with a time of 05:11.23.
Officials said that the Men’s Sprint witnessed the Army contingent in formidable form. Santosh Moktan powered through the course to secure gold with a timing of 02:45.83. Maharashtra’s Siddhartha Gadekar claimed silver (02:53.75), while the Army’s Rovin Singh bagged the bronze with a time of 02:57.73.
On the Nordic track, the Women’s 1.5 KM Sprint demanded explosive speed and endurance. Karnataka’s Bhavani T. N. delivered a commanding performance to take gold. The race for the remaining podium spots saw paramilitary forces engaged in a close contest, with the CRPF’s Renu Danu sprinting to silver, while the ITBP’s Kusum Rana settled for bronze.
Officials further stated that the snowboard competitions at Kongdoori provided the day’s most gripping moments. In the Women’s Slalom, Himachal Pradesh’s dominance continued as Priti Thakur (01:15.194) and Prakriti Thakur (01:16.864) secured gold and silver, respectively. Maharashtra’s Urmila took bronze with a time of 01:35.174.
The Men’s Giant Slalom turned into a photo-finish spectacle, decided by the slimmest of margins. Local athlete Zubair Ahmad Lone of Jammu and Kashmir thrilled the home crowd by clinching gold with a timing of 01:17.424. The Army team put up a fierce challenge, with Vivek Rana missing the top spot by a whisker to take silver (01:17.451). Kulwinder Sharma added to the Army’s medal tally, securing bronze with a time of 01:18.716, an official added.
Officials added that the Khelo India Winter Games continues to provide a crucial competitive platform for the country’s winter sport athletes, offering them exposure to high-level competition on home snow.
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