The fourth edition of the Chinar Winter Games 2026 concluded on February 20 at the Ice-Skating Rink in Gulmarg, with J&K athletes delivering a dominant performance in the ice-skating events. The two-day flagship initiative of the Indian Army, held on February 19 and 20, was marked by high sporting spirit and enthusiastic participation.
The Games were organised under the aegis of the Dagger Division of Chinar Corps. Snow skiing events were conducted at Kongdoori, while ice skating competitions including Speed Skating and Figure Skating were held late at night on February 19 to take advantage of the lowest temperatures at the rink.
More than 650 boys and girls participated in various winter sports disciplines, with over 60 athletes competing in the ice skating events alone. The championship witnessed a massive turnout, with thousands of locals, tourists and sports enthusiasts gathering to cheer the participants.
In the women’s Speed Skating 500m event, Qurat ul Ain clinched gold, Eleeza Mukhdomi secured silver and Qubra Parveez bagged bronze. In the Figure Skating category, Qurat ul Ain and Qubra Parveez won gold and silver respectively.
In the men’s Speed Skating 1000m event, Sheikh Umer Iqbal claimed gold, followed by Raquib Ali Dar with silver and Numan Bazaz with bronze. In Men’s Figure Skating, Sheikh Umer Iqbal once again took gold, while Raquib Ali and Mohammad Baseer Aijaz secured silver and bronze respectively.
The J&K team dominated the ice-skating arena, finishing with a total of 11 medals — four gold, four silver and three bronze and also received a cash award of Rs 90,000.
- Ashraf Dijoo, National Coach of the Ice-Skating Association of UT J&K, along with other officials, successfully conducted the championship. The Army provided a dynamic platform for the youth of Kashmir to showcase their talent across multiple winter sports disciplines. The event emerged as a vibrant celebration of sportsmanship, community spirit and youth empowerment.
Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, SYSM, PVSM, AVSM, SM, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, was the chief guest on the occasion. He lauded the talent and dedication of Kashmiri youth in winter sports and appreciated the Army’s continued efforts in promoting winter games in the region.
