The 3rd edition of Khelo India Winter Games, KIWG 2023, a 1st of a kind multi-sport competition of India, was held in Gulmarg, in Baramulla District of North Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) from 10th to 14th February 2023.
- Nisith Pramanik, Union Minister of State(MoS), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports(MoYAS), chief guest of the closing ceremony of KIWG 2023, distributed the medals among the winners.
J&K Topped the Medal Tally with 76 medals:
i.J&K topped the medal tally of KIWG 2023 with 26 Golds, 25 silvers and 25 bronze, a total of 76 medals.
- With the highest number of gold medals at the end of the meet, J&K was declared the winner of KIWG 2023.
ii.Maharashtra came 2nd with 13 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze medals, followed by Himachal Pradesh with 10 Gold, 14 Silver and 7 Bronze and Army with 10 gold, 10 silver and 9 bronze medals.
Top 5 on the Medal Tally:
| Rank | Team | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J&K | 26 | 25 | 25 | 76 |
| 2 | Maharashtra | 13 | 8 | 6 | 27 |
| 3 | Himachal Pradesh | 10 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
| 4 | Army | 10 | 10 | 9 | 29 |
| 5 | Haryana | 8 | 10 | 13 | 31 |
About KIWG 2023:
i.KIWG 2023 is the 3rd edition of the grassroots-level competition backed by Khelo India, a National Programme for Development of Sports under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports(MoYAS).
ii.KIWG 2023 was jointly organised by the MoYAS, the J&K Sports Council and the Winter Games Association of J&K.
Inaugural Ceremony:
Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, inaugurated the KIWG 2023 in Gulmarg on 10th February 2023
- During the inaugural ceremony, he launched 40 Khelo India centres and announced that a Centre of Excellence(CoE) for winter sports is set to be established in J&K.
Participants:
More than 1,500 athletes from 29 states and Union Territories(UTs) competed in 11 sports disciplines which include, Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, Snow rugby, Ice stock sport, Snow baseball, Mountaineering, Snowshoe running, Ice hockey, Figure skating, Bandy, and Speed skating.
Mascot, Anthem and Jersey:
i.On 4th February 2023, Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Governor of J&K, Manoj Sinha launched the Mascot, Theme Song and Jersey for the KIWG 2023.
ii.The Snow Leopard Mascot of KIWG 2023 depicts the vibrant heritage of the Himalayas. It also highlights the commitment of the J&K administration towards the conservation of Snow Leopard.
Note:
The first edition of the Khelo India Winter Games was held in 2020 in Leh and Gulmarg, with an aim to popularise winter games among the youth across India.
The 2nd edition was held in Gulmarg in February 2021.
- J&K topped the medal tally in both the 1st and 2nd editions of the Khelo India Winter Games.
About Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports:
Union Minister– Anurag Singh Thakur(Constituency- Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh)
Minister of State– Nisith Pramanik(Constituency- Coochbehar, West Bengal)
