Khelo India Winter Games 2024 mascot, snow leopard 'Sheen-e Shi' (Shan) unveiled

The mascots and logo of the Khelo India Winter Games were unveiled today. The first phase of the Winter Games is being held for the first time in the Union Territory of Ladakh from February 2-6. The second phase will be held from February 21-25 in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir.

Keeping in mind the tradition and bio-diversity of the region, a snow leopard has been made the mascot for the Khelo India Winter Games 2024. It has been named 'Sheen-e Shi' or Shan in Ladakh region.

The logo of the Games mainly reflects the uniqueness and diverse sports of the picturesque land here with the Indian tricolor. This logo has been given perfection with Dharmachakra on a mountain peak of Chanspa in Leh, the venue of these games.

The mascot and logo were launched online in the presence of Shri Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Brigadier (Retd.) Dr. BD Mishra, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh and Smt. Sujata Chaturvedi, Secretary (Sports), Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India. Director General, Sports Authority of India, Shri Sandeep Pradhan, along with other senior officials from the Government of India and both the Union Territories were also present on the occasion.

Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur will inaugurate the opening ceremony of the Games on 2nd February at NDS Stadium, Leh. There will be two types of ice hockey and speed skating events at three venues in Leh.

Brigadier Mishra welcomed the decision of MYAS to give Ladakh the opportunity to host a part of the Games for the first time. "Ladakh is a place to play winter sports. We are making an honest start and we can only get better as hosts. Shri Sinha said that this will be his fourth year with the Khelo India Winter Games in Jammu and Kashmir and wished the Ladakh Administration the very best for their role as the host.

The snow leopard is native to areas above 3200 meters altitude in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. It is also found in other Himalayan states of India and neighboring countries Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, China and the highlands of Central Asia.

The idea to make the snow leopard the mascot was taken up by the J&K Sports Council and the Sports Department of Ladakh. This mascot underlines the issues of high-mountain development of the natives, the fragile environment of the area as well as the importance of conservation efforts to protect this beautiful big cat's natural habitat and ensure its survival for the future.

About Khelo India Winter Games 2024

The Khelo India Winter Games 2024 are the fourth edition of the annual event in the Khelo India calendar. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which has been hosting the Games since 2020, as well as the Union Territory of Ladakh this year, is also going to host the event for the first time. The first part of the Games will be held in Leh from February 2-6. The Games will be held in Gulmarg from February 21-25. While Ladakh will host ice hockey and speed skating games, Jammu and Kashmir will organise ski mountaineering, alpine skiing, snowboarding, Nordic ski and gondola. The Khelo India Winter Games are part of the Khelo India Mission, a creative initiative of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister's endeavour is to give importance to all forms of Olympic sports and create a feeder channel of talented sportspersons who can make India proud at the highest level of sporting excellence.