PM Modi’s special message for Khelo India Winter Games as Ladakh gets SAI Centre of Excellence
The opening ceremony of KIWG 2024 was held at the NDS Stadium in Leh. A MOU
was signed to start a Khelo India Centre of Excellence in boxing, archery and athletics
Leh, February 2, 2024: The Union Territory of Ladakh will now have a Khelo India Centre
of Excellence. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Sports
Authority of India and the sports department, Union Territory of Ladakh on Friday. It
was the perfect gift for the UT hosting a major national event for the first time.
It was certainly a landmark day for picturesque Leh. The Khelo India Winter Games
2024, a debut for Ladakh, got off to a musical start at the Nawang Dorjay Stobdan
Stadium. Fifteen states and two public institutions are taking part in ice hockey and ice
skating events over five days. The Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brig. (Dr)
B.D. Mishra (Retd) was the chief guest on the occasion. The second part of the Winter
Games will be held in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir from February 21-25.
On this special day for Ladakh, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi,
sent a special message for the Khelo India Winter Games 2024 organisers. In his
inspirational address, PM Modi said how Khelo India was bringing India closer to each
other. “We just witnessed the conclusion of the highly successful Khelo India Youth
Games in Tamil Nadu. From the southern to the northern tip, the journey and spirit of
Khelo India continues unabated. The Khelo India Winter Games epitomizes this spirit
further, aiming to nurture champions and positions the regions of Jammu and Kashmir,
and Ladakh, as premier winter sports destinations, globally,” said PM Modi.
The Khelo India Centre of Excellence in Ladakh will provide a big boost to sportspersons
in this challenging region. The centre will serve three sports – athletics, archery and
boxing. The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports’ decision to tap talent in Ladakh
was well received.
Dr Mishra said: “This tie-up will help sportspersons from the region to get the right
facilities and improve their standards. We always want our athletes to learn from the
best experts and reach international levels. This is certainly a significant milestone in the
history of Ladakh sports.”
Despite the chilly weather, a motley turnout at the NDS Stadium witnessed traditional
folk dances and were treated to some foot-tapping music by the popular local band,
Dashugs. An exhibition ice-hockey match between UT-Ladakh and Indo-Tibetan Border
Police set the ball rolling. The match ended 0-0. A thrilling 500 metre short-track ice
skating by a team of girls from across India was an additional treat.
The first medals of the Khelo India Winter Games 2024 were also decided on Day 1.
Eklavya Jagal of Uttar Pradesh won the gold in the under-17 short track (300m) skating
for boys. He clocked 31.81 seconds. Aarav Patwardhan (32.03) and Advay Kothari
(32.60) finished in that order. Both represented Maharashtra.
In the boys 17-plus short track skating, Karnataka’s Akash Aradhya (32.81) won the gold
medal. Maharashtra’s Sujoy Tapkir (33.33) and Sumit Tapkir (34.33 sec) ended second
and third.
Eight teams in men’s ice-hockey and four in women’s ice hockey have also started their
campaigns. While the men have been divided into two groups, the women will play a
round-robin league. ITBP are the top seeds in both men and women’s sections.
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For medal tally: https://winter.kheloindia.gov.in/medal-tally
For website: https://winter.kheloindia.gov.in/
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Photo caption:
Action during the Under-17 Boys Short Track (300 Mts) Speed Ice Skating at NDS
Stadium in Leh on Friday. (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.