The Ladakh leg of the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2026 concluded on a thrilling note on Republic Day, with the Indian Army retaining the men’s ice hockey title in a nail-biting finish. Meanwhile, Haryana asserted its dominance in winter sports, emerging as the overall champion of the Ladakh phase, fueled by a stellar showing in figure and ice skating.
Ice Hockey Final: A Battle of Nerves
In front of a packed crowd at the Nawang Dorjay Stobdan (NDS) Stadium, the defending champions, Indian Army, narrowly defeated a spirited Chandigarh side 3-2.
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Early Lead: Army started aggressively, taking a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals from Padma Namgail (6th minute) and Tsewang Dorjay (10th minute).
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The Comeback: Chandigarh, who had suffered a crushing 1-10 defeat to Army in the league stages, staged a remarkable recovery. Goals from Gurtej Singh Bhatti and Birshahaanjit Singh leveled the score at 2-2 in the final quarter, stunning the favorites.
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The Winner: With just three minutes left on the clock, the Army scored the decisive goal to seal the victory and the gold medal, surviving the scare from the underdogs.
Overall Championship: Haryana Reigns Supreme
Haryana topped the medal tally for the Ladakh leg, securing the overall championship title.
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Gold Rush: The state’s success was driven by its skaters, who bagged a total of four gold medals.
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Key Performers: Skater Sachin Singh was a standout performer for Haryana, clinching two gold medals.
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The Standings: Hosts Ladakh finished second, followed by Maharashtra and Telangana. While all three states won two gold medals each, their positions were decided by the number of silver medals won (Ladakh: 5 silvers, Maharashtra: 3 silvers, Telangana: 2 silvers).
Individual Brilliance
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Skarma Tsultim (Ladakh): Emerged as the most successful athlete of this leg, winning a total of four medals (2 Gold, 2 Silver).
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Figure Skating: Making its debut in the games, figure skating saw Haryana claim two golds, further boosting their championship bid.
