Army Clinches Khelo India Winter Games 2024 Title on Final Day

The Khelo India Winter Games 2024 concluded in Gulmarg, with the Army emerging victorious after a thrilling final day of competition.

Army Tops the Medal Tally

Alpine skier Bobby Pandey’s gold medal in the parallel slalom event proved decisive, propelling Army to the top of the medal table with 10 gold medals. This narrow margin placed them one gold ahead of Karnataka (9 gold) and three ahead of Maharashtra (7 gold), who had led after the first round in Ladakh.

Individual Performances Shine

• Mehak from Uttarakhand secured gold in the women’s parallel slalom.
• Uttarakhand finished fifth overall with three gold medals, all in skiing events.
• Himachal Pradesh secured fourth place with four gold medals, led by Aanchal Thakur’s double gold performance.
• Army dominated the games, particularly in Gulmarg, with nine gold medals added to their ice hockey gold from Ladakh. Notably, snowboarder Kulvinder Sharma and Nordic skier Padma Namgial each bagged two individual gold medals for the team.
• Karnataka’s Thekkada Bhavani Nanjunda emerged as the individual star, clinching a remarkable hat-trick of gold medals in Gulmarg, despite their reliance on ice skating success in Ladakh.

Technical Expertise and Olympian Involvement

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) successfully managed the technical aspects of the games. Additionally, six Olympians, including Shiva Keshavan and Arif Mohammed Khan, actively contributed to the conduct of the event, lending their expertise and experience.

The Khelo India Winter Games 2024 witnessed exceptional performances and a captivating battle for the top spot. The Army’s triumph, individual brilliance, and the involvement of Olympians mark a successful edition of the winter sporting event.