Khelo India Winter Games 2026: Tamil Nadu, MP claim long-track golds; Haryana stay atop medal table

Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh clinched a gold each on Day 3 of the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2026, winning the men’s and women’s 500m long-track ice skating events respectively at Gupukh’s Pond in Leh on Thursday.

Haryana continued to lead the medal tally, buoyed by the two figure skating gold medals it won on Wednesday. Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh share second place with one gold each, while hosts Ladakh are placed sixth with two silvers and two bronzes. The Ladakh leg of the Games concludes on Republic Day.

Reiterating a familiar KIWG theme, skaters from the plains once again matched pace with athletes from traditional winter regions. After Haryana’s success earlier, Tamil Nadu’s Avikshith Vijay Viswanat and Madhya Pradesh’s Udreka Singh underlined the trend with victories in the long-track 500m events.

Avikshith, 19, defended his title from last year, clocking 43.48 seconds to win gold in the men’s race. A roller skater by training who took to ice skating only a year ago, Avikshith benefited from a four-month training stint in the Netherlands. Andhra Pradesh’s Danda Chandra Mouli (43.97s) took silver, while Karnataka’s Harshith BT (44.13s) claimed bronze, as southern states filled the top six positions.

In the women’s event, 15-year-old Udreka Singh struck gold in 53.94 seconds, edging out Ladakh’s Skarma Tsultim (54.21s). Tasnia Shameem of Ladakh won bronze with a timing of 57.41 seconds. Competing in her third KIWG, Udreka showcased steady progress despite using long-track boots and blades for the first time.

In ice hockey, the Army registered their second consecutive win in men’s Group A, thrashing Chandigarh 10-1 at the NDS Stadium. Padma Norboo scored a hat-trick, while Tsewang Dorjay and Jigmath Kunzang netted two goals each.

In the women’s competition, Ladakh and ITBP remained on course for another final meeting. Ladakh defeated Chandigarh 5-0 in Group A, while ITBP outclassed Himachal Pradesh 7-0 in Group B. Haryana also recorded a 2-0 win over Rajasthan.

Results:

Ice Skating – Long Track 500m (Men):

1. Avikshith Vijay Viswanat (Tamil Nadu) – 43.48s2. Danda Chandra Mouli (Andhra Pradesh) – 43.97s3. Harshith BT (Karnataka) – 44.13s

Ice Skating – Long Track 500m (Women):

1. Udreka Singh (Madhya Pradesh) – 53.94s2. Skarma Tsultim (Ladakh) – 54.21s3. Tasnia Shameem (Ladakh) – 57.41s

Ice Hockey:

Women’s Group A: Ladakh bt Chandigarh 5-0Women’s Group B: ITBP bt Himachal Pradesh 7-0; Haryana bt Rajasthan 2-0Men’s Group A: Army bt Chandigarh 10-1