India Ski Mountaineering Asian Championships breakthrough: Three athletes finish in top 10
Shimla, March 16,
India Ski Mountaineering Asian Championships witness historic performance as three Indian athletes secure top-10 finishes at Yabuli Ski Resort, marking a major breakthrough for India in Asian winter sports.
The show of India’s growing presence in winter sports received a major boost on the opening day of the ISMF Asian Ski Mountaineering Championships 2026 as Indian athletes delivered a historic performance at the slopes of Yabuli Ski Resort in China’s Heilongjiang province.
Competing against some of Asia’s strongest winter sports Nations, the Indian contingent recorded an unprecedented achievement by placing three athletes in the top-10 during the demanding Vertical race, marking one of the most significant milestones for India in the sport of ski mountaineering.
The Vertical race — one of the most physically demanding formats in ski mountaineering — tests athletes through steep uphill climbs that require a combination of endurance, technique and speed.
In the men’s category, Indian athletes delivered a strong showing, wherein Siddharth Gadekar finished 7th and Shardul Thapliyal secured 8th place
In the women’s category, India’s sole female competitor Kaamya Karthikeyan claimed an impressive 7th place finish.
The triple top-10 finish is being described by sports administrators as India’s best collective performance at the Asian level in ski mountaineering, a discipline that is steadily gaining recognition in the country’s Himalayan states.
The athletes arrived in China with momentum after strong performances at the Khelo India Winter Games held earlier this year in Gulmarg.
Officials believe the growing exposure to international standards in domestic competitions is helping Indian athletes close the performance gap with established winter sports nations across Asia.
Federation credits four-year push
According to Praveen Sood, the encouraging results are the outcome of a focused effort to develop ski mountaineering in India over the last few years.
Sood said the federation has been working closely with the International Ski Mountaineering Federation while aligning domestic competitions with global standards.
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He noted that National championships and winter games organized in India were deliberately structured to simulate international racing conditions, enabling Indian athletes to prepare for events like the Asian championships.
The federation has also been collaborating with state governments and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to strengthen winter sports infrastructure in the Himalayan region.
The results from the opening day are being viewed as a signal that India could gradually emerge as a competitive nation in mountain-based winter disciplines, particularly those suited to the Himalayas.
With large stretches of high-altitude terrain across states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, experts believe ski mountaineering could become one of India’s natural strengths in international winter sports.
The championships will continue until March 20, with the Indian team set to compete in two additional races over the coming days.
After the strong start in the Vertical event, the focus will now be on whether the Indian athletes can convert the early momentum into podium finishes, potentially marking another milestone in the country’s evolving winter sports story.
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