J&K to Host Khelo India Winter Games 2025 | 16 Dec 2024

Why in News?

Jammu & Kashmir is set to host the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025 from 23rd to 27^th January 2025. Ladakh will host ice sports, including ice hockey and ice skating events.

Key Points

Khelo India Winter Games:
- For the second consecutive year, the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh jointly hosted the Khelo India Winter Games.
  - J&K previously hosted all events but Ladakh successfully organized ice events, such as skating and hockey.
Origins and Growth of Participation:
- The Khelo India Winter Games began in 2020, attracting nearly 1,000 athletes, including 306 women, in its inaugural year.
- Participation steadily increased, with over 1,350 athletes in 2021 and more than 1,500 in 2022, reflecting the games' growing popularity in the region.
KIWG 2024:
- The 2024 Winter Games featured over 1,200 participants, including:
  - More than 700 athletes.
  - A total of 136 medals were contested during the event.
Increased Professional Management:
- For the first time, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), National Sports Federations, and the Indian Olympic Association, managed the technical conduct of the games.

Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG)

The KIWG is a multidisciplinary, national-level winter sports competition that promotes winter sports and encourages more athletes to take up skiing and skating.
It includes events such as skiing, alpine skiing, nordic skiing, snow rugby, ice stock sport, snow baseball, mountaineering, snowshoe running, ice hockey, figure skating, and speed skating.
It is organized by the Sports Authority of India and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The 2025 KIWG will be held in the Union Territory of Ladakh from 23 to 27 January for ice events, and in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir from 22 to 25 February for snow events.