Jammu and Kashmir’s Gulmarg hosted the 6th Khelo India Winter Games, alive with triumphs that signal India’s winter sports ascent. Athletes shone brightly, but their candid verdict? Success brewed not on podiums, but in the rigorous embrace of High Altitude Warfare School (HWS).
Players from every corner—states, Army, CRPF, ITBP—point to HWS as their catalyst. Its origins trace to 1948, when Brigadier General K.S. Thimayya launched the 19th Infantry Division Ski School, morphing into a warfare institute with A-category prestige by 1962.
A bastion for altitude combat and snow mastery, HWS welcomes sports enthusiasts today. Consider 25-year-old Kajal from Shillong: zero snow exposure till 2024, then 15 HWS days propelled her to Nordic 15km/10km glory. ‘CRPF aligned me; HWS empowered me,’ she affirmed.
Echoing her, Karnataka’s 23-year-old Bhavani T.N. transitioned from snow virgin to gold medalist in 1.5km sprint, bronzes in 15km/10km, via HWS-IISM synergy.
Army’s men’s haul was total: 10km Nordic swept by Namgyel (gold), Aman (silver), Manjeet (bronze); 1.5km by Sunny Singh, Shubham Parihar, Manjeet. Namgyel lauded, ‘HWS builds across boards—unlimited funds, top coaches, Europe jaunts. Hard ice? No match for our prep.’
Training 250-300 soldiers and select civilians yearly, HWS packs simulators, roller skis, elite gyms, indoor venues. Diets and gear scream professionalism. CRPF’s upward trajectory underscores HWS’s reach.
Gulmarg’s cheers honor winners, but HWS claims the crown—nurturing India’s winter elite from its lofty, relentless domains.