1. Why in News

1.1 Khelo India Winter Games 2026 kick off in Leh.

2. Event Overview

2.1 Event: Khelo India Winter Games 2026
2.2 Location: Leh, Ladakh

3. Participation

3.1 Total participants: 1,000+
3.2 Includes: Athletes, coaches and technical officials
3.3 Competing athletes: 472
3.4 States/UTs participating: 21

4. Venues

4.1 Nawang Dorjan Stobdan Stadium
4.2 Army rink
4.3 Gupukh’s Pond (frozen)

5. Sports & Disciplines

5.1 Figure skating introduced for the first time
5.2 Figure skating is an Olympic discipline

6. Medal Details

6.1 Total gold medals on offer: 17
6.2 Gold medals in ice skating: 15

7. Regional Performance

7.1 Hosts Ladakh topped the medal tally in the previous edition
7.2 Largest contingents from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh

8. Conditions & Challenges

8.1 High-altitude conditions
8.2 Sub-zero temperatures
8.3 Low oxygen levels

9. Ice Hockey & International Context

9.1 Ice hockey remains the flagship sport of the Ladakh leg
9.2 Figure skating gained momentum after India’s participation in the Asian Winter Games
9.3 Venue of Asian Winter Games: Harbin