Kajal Kumari Rai Secures Two Golds At Khelo India Winter Games Gulmarg

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At the Khelo India Winter Games 2025 in Gulmarg, Nordic skier Kajal Kumari Rai turned personal loss into dominance. The 25-year-old CRPF athlete from Meghalaya claimed back-to-back gold medals in the women’s 15 km and 10 km sprint events, racing while still mourning the death of a parent.

On Monday, Kajal topped the Nordic Women's 15 km sprint. On Tuesday, she returned to the Golf Course track and won the 10 km sprint. Two days, two titles and a complete sweep in her category showed how resolve, training and grief came together on the snow in Gulmarg.

Khelo India Winter Games 2025 Nordic skiing Gulmarg medals and promise

The double triumph carried a deeper story. Just five days before the Khelo India Winter Games 2025 began, Kajal’s father died suddenly. Kajal had to stop her preparations, travel back to Shillong, and perform the last rites with family, while the competition in Gulmarg drew closer.

The ceremonies ended, yet the shock stayed. Kajal still chose to return to Gulmarg for the Nordic skiing events at the Khelo India Winter Games 2025. She arrived carrying fresh bereavement, competing in Gulmarg’s cold air with a mind weighed down by that loss, rather than by pressure from rivals.

Khelo India Winter Games 2025 Nordic skiing Gulmarg journey and training

Kajal had raced in Gulmarg the previous year as well, but that season felt different. Nordic skiing then seemed colder and distant, and Kajal’s body completed the course without much connection. During that quiet period, the CRPF cross-country skier made a private pledge to return stronger for her father’s memory.

Kajal only began Nordic skiing in 2024, despite coming from Shillong, a place of heavy rain and green hills. Snow sports are rare there, and skiing is almost unknown. She had no family background in winter sport, no early coaching, and no tradition to follow, relying mainly on personal belief.

"We don't have this kind of weather," she said. "Even surviving in snow is a big deal for us. Forget competing in a sport that tests your endurance like this."

To close that gap, Kajal spent three weeks training at the Indian Army’s High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg before the Khelo India Winter Games 2025. She worked on Nordic skiing technique and learned survival skills in deep snow, understanding how to move efficiently and stay calm in harsh Gulmarg conditions.

"They trained us well," she said. "They improved our technique and gave us confidence."

Khelo India Winter Games 2025 Nordic skiing Gulmarg environment and support

During that camp, the mountains that once felt foreign started to seem familiar. Kajal grew attached to Kashmir’s open slopes and long stretches of white. "The natural views are amazing," Kajal said. "The snow here is perfect for Nordic skiing." The landscape in Gulmarg became part of her routine and focus.

Her experience in the CRPF provided the base for this progress. Daily duties in the force demand high stamina, and endurance sports are encouraged. Within that setting, Kajal first noticed athletes from forces like the Army competing at the Olympics and World Championships and allowed herself to picture a long-term Nordic skiing path.

Her team manager, Magesh K, said the signs were visible early. "She has always worked extremely hard," he said. "But more than that, she has the spirit of an athlete. That spirit is rare." Magesh watched her attitude, not just results, and believed that mindset would matter in Gulmarg.

Magesh saw those qualities again after Kajal finished her race on Tuesday. Another CRPF skier, Hiral from Gujarat, secured bronze in the same Nordic skiing event at Gulmarg. Kajal, already confirmed as gold medallist for the Khelo India Winter Games 2025 race, walked over and embraced Hiral, sharing the podium moment as teammates.

The emotional weight of the week became most visible only after the second gold. At the finish line, Kajal eased to a stop, skis sliding softly over Gulmarg’s powder. She paused, breathing hard in the thin mountain air, eyes fixed beyond the cheering officials and medals, as if searching for her father’s presence.

Back home in Shillong, Kajal’s mother, sister, brother and sister-in-law had followed the Nordic skiing results from a distance. Soon after the victory, Kajal connected with them over a video call from Gulmarg and shared the news that the Khelo India Winter Games 2025 campaign had brought two gold medals for the family.

No one in Kajal’s family had previously taken up sport as a profession, so she created this path alone. She often mentions fellow CRPF colleague Lokesh Kumar as a key influence, someone who encouraged belief in Nordic skiing. Yet Kajal insists that daily discipline, rather than inspiration alone, turned hope into wins.

"I saw athletes from states without infrastructure succeed," Kajal said. "I promised myself I would not complain. I would focus on my goal." That approach guided her through training in Gulmarg, and through the Khelo India Winter Games 2025 programme, even when weather, facilities, or emotions were not ideal.

Now, standing in Gulmarg with both Khelo India Winter Games 2025 Nordic skiing titles, Kajal is seen as more than a skier from a state without snow. Kajal speaks of future targets, including the Olympics and World Championships, hoping to carry her father’s story and her own resilience from Gulmarg onto larger stages.