Karnataka's Thekkada Bhavani Nanjugunda, The Queen Of Nordic Skiing In India

If there was a prize for the 'Woman of the Khelo India Winter Games 2024' underway in Gulmarg, Thekkada Bhavani Nanjugunda would perhaps walk away with the honours. The Karnataka skier, who is also a mountaineer with decent credentials, completed a hattrick of gold medals in Nordic skiing at the iconic Gulmarg Golf Course on Saturday. Bhavani's consistency in this edition of the Games, where the technical parameters have been directly managed by the Sports Authority of India, impressed no other than six-time Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan, who thinks there is a lot to achieve for Indian snow sport athletes, given the fantastic conditions available in Gulmarg.

Thekkada Bhavani Nanjugunda won the 10 km race on Saturday to cap off a very successful KIWG 2024. She had won the 5 km and the 1.6 km races earlier in the championship and has been solely responsible for Karnataka's fine run in the Games.

A slim girl with average height, Bhavani hails from Karnataka where snow is found as abundantly as water in desert. Bhavani happened to visit Kashmir during winter in her childhood. The snow fascinated her, the 28-year-old recalled.

It was through the NCC where she first got the taste of adventure sports. Bhavani says, "After that I joined Jawahar Mountaineering Institute at Pahalgam where the Principal of the institute and instructors encouraged me to learn cross country." She never looked back.

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