Winter Olympics, explained simply — snow, ice and India's path
Education Margdarshan's plain guide to the Olympic Winter Games: what they are, the snow and ice sports, how many countries and players took part at Milano Cortina 2026, who went from India, and how Indian players start — the Khelo India Winter Games in Ladakh and Gulmarg.
What the Winter Olympics are
- The Winter Olympics are the Olympic Games for snow and ice sports.
- The last one was Milano Cortina 2026 in Italy: 19 days of competition and 16 sport disciplines. France hosts the next Winter Games.
- Ski mountaineering joined the Winter Olympics for the first time in 2026. [1]
Milano Cortina 2026 in numbers
Milano Cortina 2026 — the real numbers [1]
| What | Number |
|---|---|
| Countries (NOCs) | 92 + Individual Neutral Athletes |
| Players | Around 2,900 (provisional) |
| Women | 47% of all players — the most balanced Winter Games ever |
| Women's events | 50 (46 at Beijing 2022) |
| Countries at their first Winter Games | 3 — Benin, Guinea-Bissau, United Arab Emirates |
| Countries that won their first-ever Winter medal | 2 — Brazil (gold) and Georgia (silver) |
| Records | 13 Olympic records, 1 world record |
Snow sports and ice sports
Winter sports named in these official files [1][3]
| Type | Sports | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Snow | Alpine skiing (slalom, giant slalom) | Ski fast down a slope through gates |
| Snow | Cross-country (Nordic) skiing | Ski long distances on flat and hilly tracks |
| Snow | Ski jumping | Fly as far as possible off a big ramp |
| Snow | Freestyle skiing (moguls, dual moguls) | Ski over bumps and do jumps |
| Snow | Ski mountaineering (new in 2026) | Climb up and ski down a mountain course |
| Snow | Snowboard | Ride a single board down the snow |
| Ice | Ice hockey | Team game on skates with sticks and a puck |
| Ice | Figure skating | Skate with jumps and spins to music; judges score |
| Ice | Speed skating and short track | Race on skates around an ice track |
| Ice | Luge and skeleton | Slide down an ice track on a small sled |
Who went from India — and how Indian players start
- At Milano Cortina 2026 India was represented by alpine skier Arif Khan and cross-country skier Stanzin Lundup.
- For years India sent one or no athletes to the Winter Olympics. The Sports Ministry says the Khelo India Winter Games are now building more players — figure skater Tara Prasad has won medals abroad and the women's ice hockey team has had historic results. [2]
- In 2022 the Sports Ministry added skier Arif Khan to TOPS (the Target Olympic Podium Scheme) before the Beijing Winter Olympics — winter players can get the same support as summer stars. [4]
Khelo India Winter Games 2026 (the 6th edition) [2][3]
| Leg | Where | When | Sports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice | Leh, Ladakh | 20–26 Jan 2026 | Ice hockey, ice skating (figure skating added) |
| Snow | Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir | 23–26 Feb 2026 | Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, snowboard, ski mountaineering |
The Indian Army won the overall title at the Khelo India Winter Games and defended it in 2026. [2]
Straight answers
I live far from the mountains. Can I still try a winter sport?
India's national winter competitions are held only in Leh (ice) and Gulmarg (snow), so most players come from or train in Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir. Ice skating and ice hockey need an ice rink, and snow sports need a slope. [2][3]
Do winter players get government support?
Yes. Winter athletes can be in TOPS — skier Arif Khan was added in 2022 — and the Khelo India Winter Games are run by the Sports Ministry every year. [4][2]
Where these facts come from
Every fact on this Education Margdarshan page is taken from an official body's own file or a Government of India document below, read on 18 October 2026. Numbers, dates and rules change — open the current file before you act on it.
- IOC — Milano Cortina 2026 in Numbers: Record Engagement, Efficient Delivery, World-Class Performance (IOC press release, figures as of 21 Feb 2026) (opens in a new tab) 92 NOCs + AIN, ~2,900 athletes, 47% women, 50 women's events, 16 disciplines, 19 days, eight new events, first medals for Brazil and Georgia, France as next host · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
- PIB — Sports Minister announces dates for Gulmarg leg of Khelo India Winter Games 2026 (12 Feb 2026) (opens in a new tab) India at Milano Cortina 2026 (Arif Khan, Stanzin Lundup), KIWG 2026 legs and dates, figure skating, Army title, Tara Prasad, women's ice hockey · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
- Khelo India Winter Games — About (opens in a new tab) Ice sports at Leh and snow sports at Gulmarg; the six KIWG sports · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- PIB — Winter Olympics-bound Md Arif Khan included in Target Olympic Podium Scheme (2022) (opens in a new tab) A winter athlete in TOPS before Beijing 2022 · Last checked 18 Oct 2026
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