Even as the Army finished on top of the medal tally in the Khelo India Winter Games 2024 concluded in the picturesque Gulmarg area of Jammu and Kashmir, two females one from Karnataka and another from host J&K, emerged as stars at the national level event.
28-year-old Thekkada Bhavani Nanjugunda of Karnataka and 35-year-old Shazia Hassan of South Kashmir's Anantnag district impressed the organizers of the event.
Shazia Hassan secured two silver medals in ski mountaineering, but she breaks barriers in a region where such feats are a rarity. Facing adversity from an early age after losing her father, Shazia took on the responsibility of caring for her family.
However, her journey took an unexpected turn when she discovered her passion and talent for Ski mountaineering upon joining the Jawahar Institutions of Mountaineering and Winter Sports (JIM & WG) in 2010.
Shazia was the only female representative from her locality to join the Ski Mountaineering Institute in Kashmir. In 2010, when she joined the institute, she was the only female representative from her locality at the institution.
Shazia not only excelled in the sport but also became an instructor, sharing her skills and knowledge with fellow enthusiasts.
"Ski Mountaineering is not just a sport, it is a way of life," she stated, emphasizing the values of overcoming obstacles, facing challenges, and appreciating nature.
"I am lucky to live in India, a country that supports and encourages sports. Khelo India has changed my life and inspired many others," she remarked.
Bhawani of Karnataka secures a hattrick of gold medals in Nordic Skiing
Bhawani Nanjugunda of Karnataka, who emerged as a star of the Khelo India Winter Games 2024, completed a hattrick of gold medals in Nordic skiing at the iconic Gulmarg Golf Course.
Six-time Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan was impressed by the performance of Bhawani.
Interestingly, Bhavani belongs to Karnataka where snow is found as abundantly as water in the desert. Although she belongs to Karnataka, Bhavani used to visit Kashmir during winter in her childhood and she is fascinated by the snow.
As a cadet of the NCC, Bhawani got a taste of adventure sports. It was all due to her passion for adventure sports that she joined an institute in south Kashmir's Pahalgam area.
"After that, I joined Jawahar Mountaineering Institute at Pahalgam where the principal of the institute and instructors encouraged me to learn cross country", she recalled.
For the first time in 2020, she took part in a cross-country race at Gulmarg. "I learned techniques while watching the Army teams," said Bhavani, adding that the High-Altitude Warfare School has been one of her greatest supports.
"I continue my training with Army at Gulmarg who are providing me accommodation and other technical facilities," she said, adding, "Throughout the year I do endurance training at home".
Aspiring to represent India in the 2026 Winter Olympics
Encouraged after securing a hattrick of gold medals in the Khelo India Winter Games 2024, Bhavani aspired to represent India at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy.
In her first Khelo India Winter Games in 2021, Bhawani won gold and bronze medals in cross-country skiing. Interestingly, Bhavani is the first woman to represent India in a biathlon event. A biathlon event usually combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
- Trained in New Zealand and in 2019 she became the first Indian woman to hold an international ski instructor certificate.
- She was the first South Indian to represent the country in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2023 in Slovenia.
- She is the first South Indian and only Indian this year to qualify for the 2023 World Championships.
Army emerges as winner, Karnataka runners-up
The Army finished on top of the medal tally with 10 golds, just one more than Karnataka and three more than number three Maharashtra.
Army won nine golds in the Gulmarg edition of the Khelo India Winter Games 2024. Snowboarder Kulvinder Sharma and Nordic skier Padma Namgial produced outstanding performances with two individual gold medals each for the Army team.
Karnataka competed well in Gulmarg largely due to top skier Thekkada Bhavani Nanjunda.
The 28-year-old certified trainer and mountaineer, Bhavani was the only athlete to win a hat trick of gold medals in Gulmarg.
