Gulmarg (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], February 19 (ANI): The Khelo India Winter Games 2026 in Gulmarg will witness a real-life manifestation of the Khelo Bharat Niti (sports policy) that was launched by the Union sports ministry in July last year.

The Gulmarg leg of Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) will be held from February 23-26, with India's top skiers, including Winter Olympians, participating, according to a release.

Apart from enhancing infrastructure, talent identification and international competitiveness, the Khelo Bharat Niti is aimed at leveraging sports for economic development and boosting industries such as tourism, manufacturing and sports technology.

If the surge in tourist interest during the third week of February is any indication, the Games have come as a big cheer to one of Jammu & Kashmir's biggest breadwinners for the region's economy - sports tourism, the release read.

Local businesses are preparing too for the Winter Games extravaganza. Abeed, a hotelier at Sheen Woods Tangmarg, said that bookings surged weeks ago.

'For us, this is more than just tourism. It is our identity. When the Games happen, Gulmarg feels like the heart of the country,' he said while pointing to a lobby filled with athletes from Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala, Telangana, and J&K.

'You hear different languages at breakfast,' he said, adding, 'It feels like a country in one room.'

The Khelo India Winter Games journey in Gulmarg so far tells its own story. In the first edition in March 2020, 1123 athletes competed in 13 disciplines. J&K led the medal count, showing their strength. In 2021, 1208 athletes took part, and J&K won 18 gold medals.

By 2023, participation peaked at 1395 athletes, with J&K taking home 26 gold, 25 silver, and 25 bronze medals. Although the 2024 and 2025 editions had fewer disciplines and participants, the competition became more intense with Army, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka producing great performances. Gulmarg did not lose energy; it increased it.

Now, as the sixth edition of KIWG approaches, the focus has shifted from trying new things to building a legacy. Following the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir hosted only around 10.47 lakh domestic tourists in 2025 compared to around 26 lakh tourists in 2024, an official of the tourism department said.

However, he said that the tourists' arrivals picked up this year following the New Year rush and in the run-up to the Khelo India Winter Games 2026.

Though the official figures of the tourists visiting Kashmir would be released after the first quarter ending on March 31, an official of the tourism department said that the tourist arrivals to the Valley this year had already crossed the 2025 numbers. According to the tourism department, Gulmarg has 2300 beds in hotels and huts.

An official said the hoteliers and guest house owners are getting advance bookings ahead of the Games, with over 50 per cent already booked during the event days. Gulmarg will see four medal events: Ski mountaineering, Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing (cross-country) and snowboarding, the release read.

There is so much happiness on the slopes of Kongdoori. Sledge pullers Altaf Hussain and Muhammad Rafiq carry equipment up slopes that would challenge most tourists. Their boots leave deep prints in the packed snow as they climb. 'This is our season,' Hussain said, adjusting the ropes over his shoulders. 'When the games start, Gulmarg comes alive.'

Hussain and Rafiq charge between Rs 500 and Rs 1500 from every tourist, depending upon the distance to be covered and the time it takes. They say on a good day they make anything between Rs 1500 and Rs 3000 compared to nothing when the tourist destination remains desolate. (ANI)