Leh, Jan 24: Sachin Singh delivered an inspiring performance to steal the spotlight on Saturday, emerging as the face of short-track skating at the 6th Khelo India Winter Games being held in Ladakh. The Haryana skater produced a memorable double, clinching gold in the men’s 500m sprint before returning to the ice later in the evening to anchor his state to victory in the men’s 3000m relay at the Nawang Dorjay Stobdan (NDS) Stadium here.
Sachin clocked an impressive 46.14 seconds to take the 500m title, holding off a strong challenge from Maharashtra’s Ishaan Darvekar, who settled for silver, and Telangana’s Muthakani Vishnu Vardhan, who finished third. Calm under pressure, Sachin then teamed up with Aarav Singhal, Jai Yadav and Rohit Kumar to guide Haryana to relay gold, narrowly edging Karnataka in a tight finish, while Himachal Pradesh claimed the bronze.
With the twin victories, Sachin became the first skater of KIWG 2026 to win two gold medals, helping Haryana extend their lead at the top of the medal tally with four golds overall.
“This is the first time I’ve won a gold medal at the national level, and winning two in one day is very special,” Sachin said after his races. “The support from my coach, managers and the Haryana association has meant everything to me. This result is because of the hard work of the entire team.” The 26-year-old trains at the Youngsters Academy in Dehradun.
While Sachin powered Haryana’s surge, hosts Ladakh enjoyed a proud moment of their own as the women’s short-track relay team delivered the Union Territory’s first gold medal of the Games. The quartet of Skarma Tsultim, Shabana Zara, Tasnia Shameem and Insha Fatima topped the 2000m relay, a race marked by multiple falls and dramatic turns.
Ladakh too suffered slips during the final, but the home team showed grit and composure to recover quickly and finish well ahead of Karnataka. Maharashtra, which also made the final, was later disqualified. The win lifted Ladakh to second place in the medal standings and sparked loud celebrations among the local crowd.
In the women’s 500m short track, Telangana’s Nayana Sri Talluri continued her remarkable run at the Khelo India Winter Games. The 17-year-old defended her title with a timing of 50.49 seconds, winning her fourth consecutive gold in the event. Maharashtra’s Schaleen Farnandes and Anvayee Deshpande took silver and bronze respectively.
Now training in Canada, Nayana travelled to Leh specially for the Games and once again showed her comfort on the KIWG stage. “The competition keeps getting tougher, which makes this win even more rewarding,” she said.
In ice hockey, Chandigarh secured the women’s bronze medal after edging Himachal Pradesh 4-3 in extra time in a closely contested match.
As competition intensifies in Leh, Haryana continue to set the pace, Ladakh have announced themselves with a home gold, and athletes like Sachin Singh are turning the icy tracks of Ladakh into a stage for inspiring sporting stories.
