The Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2026 saw its first gold medals being awarded at the Nawang Dorjan Stobdan (NDS) Stadium in Leh on Wednesday, with figure skating making its debut in the Ladakh leg of the Games.
Khelo India Winter Games 2026
Of the four gold medals decided, all in figure skating, Haryana claimed two, while Uttarakhand and Kerala secured one each. Haryana currently leads the medal standings with five medals overall, including one silver and two bronze.
Haryana’s Hiya Adlakha won the first gold of the Games in the novice girls category, with Ladakh’s Stanzin Khando and Tenzin Kunzin taking silver and bronze respectively. In the novice boys event, Uttarakhand’s Adarsh Singh Rawat clinched gold, while Haryana’s Kapish Kaushik and Delhi’s Aarush Tiwari finished second and third.
In the advanced categories, Haryana’s Gauri Rai captured gold in the girls’ event. Andhra Pradesh’s Jessy Raj Mathrapu won silver, and Chelsi Singh of Haryana took bronze. In the advanced boys competition, Kerala’s Abhijith Amal Raj dominated to win gold, ahead of Telangana’s Tejesh Padiga and Haryana’s Jatin Sherawat.
Also Read: Khelo India Winter Games 2026: Where To Watch For Free, Live Streaming Details
The skaters were judged on composition, presentation and skating skills by a referee and a technical controller from Taipei.
Gauri Rai, a Class XII student from Gurugram, said her victory reflected years of hard work and perseverance. “This gold medal is a reward for early mornings, falls on ice, and never giving up. It motivates me to work even harder for my country,” she said.
Meanwhile, ice hockey continued to draw large crowds at the venue. Hosts Ladakh defeated Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) 3–1 in a high-voltage men’s Group B clash. Stanzin Angchol opened the scoring in the first minute, ITBP equalised through Nawang Zangpo in the second period, but Tsering Angchuk’s brace in the final period sealed the win for Ladakh.
The Khelo India Winter Games are being conducted by the Ladakh Department of Youth Services and Sports in association with the Sports Authority of India, with technical oversight by national sports federations.
Khelo India Winter Games 2026: Updated Medal Tally
| Ranking | State | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Haryana | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 2 | Kerala | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Uttarakhand | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Ladakh | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Andhra Pradesh | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Telangana | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Delhi | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
