Overview
- The four-day Gulmarg leg runs February 23–26 with events in alpine skiing, Nordic (cross-country), snowboarding and ski mountaineering, following the ice-sports phase held in Leh in January.
- Citing erratic snowfall and record February warmth, the J&K chief minister urged investment in snowmaking and asked organizers to set dates 10–15 days after adequate natural snowfall.
- BJP leaders pushed back, warning that artificial snow could damage local vegetation and strain water and electricity resources.
- Participation figures remain inconsistent, with the J&K Sports Council reporting roughly 400 registered competitors while other outlets cite about 900 athletes or around 1,000 athletes and officials.
- Competition is underway: the Army moved atop the medal table with a fourth gold in Gulmarg, and CRPF’s Kajal Kumari Rai secured a second consecutive Nordic gold on Day 2.