Popular sports in Jammu and Kashmir include cricket, football and winter sports along with sports like golf, water sports, Ice stock sport and adventure sports. The National Winter Games have been held in Gulmarg in 1996, 2004 and 2009.[1] The first Khelo India Winter Games were held in February and March 2020 in Leh and Gulmarg.[2][3] Jammu and Kashmir won the most gold medals (26 gold, 29 silver, 21 bronze) while the Indian Army team came second with 8 gold medals.[4] The second edition of the winter games were also held successfully in Gulmarg in 2020 with Jammu and Kashmir coming first and Karnataka second.[5]
Jammu and Kashmir has produced numerous international and national level players including Gul Dev, the first Kashmiri Olympian, numerous Indian Premier League cricketers such as Abdul Samad and Mithun Manhas, sharp shooter Chain Singh and footballer Mehrajuddin Wadoo among others.
- ^ "Winter National Games". Indian Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
- ^ Singh, Hijam Raju (12 February 2020). "5th National Winter Games torch run flagged off". The Economic Times. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
- ^ Ashiq, Peerzada (7 March 2020). "Khelo India Winter Games kicked off in J&K". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ Iveson, Ali (15 March 2020). "Hosts win 26 gold medals as first-ever Khelo India Winter Games conclude". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
- ^ "Spectacular Closing Ceremony of 2nd Khelo India National Winter Games organized at Gulmarg". Kashmir News Service. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.