Chinar Open Winter Games 2026 Conclude In Gulmarg With 660 Athletes Showcasing Kashmir’s Growing Sporting Culture

Gulmarg: Gulmarg’s snow-clad peaks turned correct into a shiny arena of sport because the Chinar Launch Chilly weather Games 2026, organised by the Indian Military, introduced collectively hundreds of younger athletes desirous to showcase capacity, shuffle, and backbone.

The match was once attended by GoC Northern Present Lt. Gen Pratik Sharma and Chief of 15 Corps Lt. Gen Prashant Srivastava, who interacted with athletes, organisers, and native residents.”

Lt Gen Sharma praised the conduct of the opponents and lauded the high requirements of sportsmanship displayed by participants and emphasised that initiatives take care of these no longer handiest nurture skills but furthermore give a carry to the bond between the Military and the parents of Kashmir, reinforcing Gulmarg’s stature as a cool weather sports trudge blueprint.

This 12 months’s edition witnessed 660 opponents at some level of eight cool weather disciplines, including 166 ladies and 494 boys. The figures impart every the Valley’s rising enthusiasm for cool weather sports and the usual upward push of feminine participation, marking a main shift within the gap’s sporting culture.

Games featured snowboarding races, snowboarding contests, and skating performances. Athletes competed against some of the top seemingly skills within the Valley, whereas locals, tourists, and sports enthusiasts gathered in ample numbers to cheer, turning Gulmarg correct into a hub of exercise.

“This opponents makes us mediate our dreams can stretch far past Gulmarg. It feels take care of the first step in opposition to bigger stages,” stated Sitara Wani, a younger skier.

“The providers and products and organisation listed below are world-class. Competing at this stage motivates us to push extra grand and plan elevated,” she added.

The felicitation and prize distribution ceremony was once collectively conducted by Lt Gen Pratik Sharma and Lt Gen Prasant Srivastava, marking the conclusion of the match.

Chinar Launch Chilly weather Games, living against the peaks of Apharwat and the Gulmarg Bowl, lend a hand because the bottom for an annual demonstrate of athletic persistence and community spirit. Spearheaded by the 18 Rashtriya Rifles below the Pir Panjal Brigade of Chinar Corps, the Games assemble advanced from a native initiative correct into a cornerstone of the Valley’s sporting calendar.

From modest beginnings in 2023, the Games assemble progressively grown in stature, drawing rising participation from at some level of Kashmir. The Indian Military was once the main organisation to conduct aggressive skating occasions at Gulmarg in 2024, along with Nordic and Alpine snowboarding. That 12 months seen a fable 676 participants at some level of 17 occasions, whereas in 2025, 634 athletes competed in 18 occasions. The 2026 edition marked the fourth 12 months,  rising to twenty aggressive occasions.