Khelo India Winter Games 2024: Speed skater Varsha Puranik keeps date with history; second gold for Akash Aradhya
Karnataka dominate short skating events, grab three golds out of five so far; ITBP
cruise in ice-hockey
Leh, February 3, 2024: India international Varsha Puranik proved why she is still the best in
the skating competition by winning gold in the 300m short track race for women in the
above 17 years category of the Khelo India Winter Games 2024 on Saturday. Varsha’s
Karnataka teammate Akash Aradhya also grabbed attention with his second individual gold
of the Games.
Varsha and Aradhya, who won the men’s over-17 short track (500m) final at the NDS
Stadium in Leh on Saturday, have given Karnataka a head start in the short-form skating
competition. Karnataka, who have three gold medals out of the five decided so far, lead the
overall medal tally.
One more skating gold medal was decided at the NDS Stadium in Leh on Saturday.
Telangana won their first gold medal when Naiyanashri Tallur won the women’s Under-17
short track (300m) final. It is interesting to see skaters from the plains doing well in the
Khelo India Winter Games 2024. Officials say most skaters started as roller skaters and then
moved to ice skating.
Varsha Puranik was certainly the toast of the day. The 37-year-old who has been
participating in international tournaments since 2001, continues to dominate her category.
With loads of experience behind her, Varsha, whose last international were the World
Games in July 2022 in the US, was a start-to-finish winner, clocking 39.81 seconds.
“I’m a microbiologist by profession and skating is my passion. Originally I am a roller skater
for which I have represented India at the 2018 Asian Games. On suggestion of my coach. K.
Srikantha Rao, I chose to take up ice skating. I would like to thank the Ice Skating
Association of India for all the help they have provided and I would like to especially thank
Khelo India and UT Ladakh for such warm hospitality and top level facility that they have
provided to the players,” said Varsha Puranik.
Aradhya (54.91 seconds) also rode his international experience when he out-sprinted Suyog
Tapkir (55.27) of Maharashtra for the gold medal. Aradhya has represented India in various
internationals and was the nations flag bearer at the 2017 Asian Winter Games in Japan.
The ice-hockey competition also entered its second day on Saturday with top-seeded teams
like ITBP, Army and Ladakh in dominating form. In Group A, ITBP men smashed Haryana 13-
0 in the day’s first match with Mohammed Ismail scoring four goals. Army scored a massive
24-0 win against Rajasthan men in a group B game, with Tsewang Dorjey scoring six goals
and Tsewang Stanzin netting four. In another group B men’s match, UT-Ladakh trounced
Maharashtra 13-0. In the day’s only women’s round-robin match, ITBP humbled Telangana
19-0.
SKATING RESULTS AT A GLANCE
Women’s 17+ short track (300m) final:
1. Varsha Puranik (39.81 sec) Karnataka
2. Swaralli Deo (41.07) Maharashtra
3. Stuti Dhandhania (42.79) Haryana
Women’s Under-17 short track (300m) final:
1. Naiyanashri Tallur (39.05 seconds) Telangana
2. Swaroopa Kadeshmukh (39.44 sec) Maharashtra
3. Udreka Singh (43:09) Madhya Pradesh
Men’s 17+ short track (500m) final:
1. Akash Aradhya (54.91 seconds) Karnataka
2. Suyog Tapkir (55.27 sec) Maharashtra
3. Sumit Tapkir (57.59 sec) Maharashtra
For medal tally: https://winter.kheloindia.gov.in/medal-tally
For website: https://winter.kheloindia.gov.in/
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Photo caption:
Varsha Puranik of Karnataka leads the pack in above-17 300 metres short track final at
the NDS Stadium in Leh on Saturday. (Photo: DIPR – Ladakh)
ABOUT KHELO INDIA WINTER GAMES 2024
The Khelo India Winter Games 2024 is tshe fourth edition of the annual event in the
Khelo India calendar. The Union Territory of Ladakh is making its debut as hosts this year
alongside the UT of Jammu & Kashmir, which has organised the Games from 2020. Leh
will be the venue for the first part of the Games from February 2-6. The Games are
scheduled to move to Gulmarg between February 21-25. While Ladakh will be
conducting games — ice hockey and speed skating — Jammu and Kashmir will conduct ski
mountaineering, Alpine skiing, snowboarding, Nordic ski and gandola. The Khelo India
Winter Games are part of the Khelo India Mission, a brainchild of Hon’ble Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi. It is the PM’s endeavour to give importance to all types of
Olympic sports and produce a feeder channel of talented sportspersons who can shine
for India at the highest levels of sporting excellence.