Padma namgail

Khelo India Winter Games: The fancied Indian Army team had to summon all its experience to squeeze past a spirited Chandigarh 3-2 to keep their men’s ice-hockey gold medal in the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG 2026 at the NDS Stadium on Republic Day. The match-winner for Army came with just three minutes left on the clock, and the Ladakh leg of KIWG 2026 could not have asked for a better and thrilling ending.

Haryana won the team championship title of the Ladakh phase of KIWG 2026, thanks to the four gold medals won by their figure and ice-skaters. Ladakh, Maharashtra, and Telangana each won two gold medals, but were separated by the number of silver medals they won. Ladakh (5 silver medals), Maharashtra (3 silver medals), and Telangana (2 silver medals) finished in that order on the medal standings.

The Chandigarh men’s ice hockey team became the talk of the town after they stunned hosts Ladakh 3-2 in the semifinals on Saturday. For a team that started playing ice hockey in KIWG 2025, Chandigarh’s entry into the final was indeed credible. Against the Army, Chandigarh proved that the win against Ladakh was no fluke. To come back from two goals down and then almost force extra time was simply amazing. Interestingly, Chandigarh had lost 10-1 against Army in the league stage.