NEW DELHI: The Khelo India Winter Games 2026 started at the Nawang Dorjan Stobdan (NDS) Stadium here on Tuesday, with the opening ceremony showcasing the rich cultural tradition of Ladakh through music and dance.
Lt Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, who was the chief guest at the opening ceremony, congratulated Ladakh for hosting yet another edition of the Winter Games.
It was a perfect start for the host as Ladakh Women, the defending champion, decimated Telangana 19-1 in their Group A ice-hockey clash at the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre. Padma Desal top scored in the match, finding the net five times, while Padma Chorol bagged three more for the host. Last year’s runner-up, Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), thrashed Rajasthan 6-0.
The action got underway, with Army, the defending men’s champion, facing Himachal Pradesh. It was a partisan crowd with the Army team being the clear favourite. However, it was not just crowd support where Army enjoyed superiority, but on the rink as well, with its structured attacks and fast gameplay proving too strong for Himachal, which ended up losing 1-5. IANS
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