On Wednesday, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur revealed that medalists from the Khelo India Games, including the Youth, University, Para, and Winter Games, would now qualify for government employment based on revised criteria. 

The tournament's first leg, held in Leh, Ladakh, from February 2 to 6, witnessed the participation of 344 athletes from 15 states, union territories, and two public institutions.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a new era of sports has emerged in Jammu and Kashmir. Renewed thrust on state-of-the-art infrastructure and allied facilities has given a huge impetus to the sports sector," he said.

In the women’s division, ITBP and Ladakh are poised to compete for the gold, while Himachal Pradesh and Telangana aim for the bronze, based on trends and results of the matches in the round-robin league.