Under Gulmarg’s pristine peaks, the 6th Khelo India Winter Games showcased India’s rising winter sports prowess. Spectacular athlete displays stole the show, yet insiders reveal the backbone: High Altitude Warfare School (HWS) training, where true victories were forged.
Representatives from states, military branches, CRPF, and ITBP agree—HWS is the cornerstone of their success. Born in 1948 under Brigadier General K.S. Thimayya as a divisional ski school, it advanced to winter warfare expertise, gaining top-tier status in 1962.
Expert in high-elevation warfare and frigid endurance, HWS’s tracks now nurture civilian athletes alongside troops. Meghalaya’s 25-year-old Kajal Kumari Rai entered 2024 snow-less but emerged as Nordic sprint queen after 15 HWS days. ‘CRPF set my path; Army and HWS fueled my fire,’ she beamed.
Karnataka’s Bhavani T.N., also 23 and ice-inexperienced, soared to 1.5km women’s Nordic gold and dual bronzes, crediting HWS and IISM.
Military dominance shone in men’s events: Army’s clean sweep in 10km Nordic (Namgyel gold, Aman silver, Manjeet bronze) and 1.5km sprint (Sunny Singh, Shubham Parihar, Manjeet). ‘HWS serves all forces and states,’ Namgyel noted. ‘Ample resources, elite coaching, overseas exposure— we conquer harsh snowscapes effortlessly.’
With 250-300 annual military trainees plus civilians, HWS offers cutting-edge amenities: simulators, roller setups, gyms, indoor facilities. World-class diets and tech ensure peak readiness. CRPF beneficiaries are now podium contenders.
While Gulmarg medals gleam, HWS’s legacy endures—transforming novices into national heroes amid J&K’s frozen battlegrounds.