The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will officially begin on February 6, marking the return of the Winter Games to Italy after two decades. Scheduled to run until February 22, the 25th edition of the Winter Olympics will unfold across multiple locations in northern Italy, including Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, and several alpine towns. Milan, Italy’s financial and cultural centre, will host Olympic events for the first time, while Cortina returns to the global sporting stage after previously hosting the 1956 Winter Olympics. This will be Italy’s third time hosting the Winter Games, following Cortina 1956 and Turin 2006.
India’s presence at the Games, however, has been overshadowed by controversy. Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra is set to carry the torch on India’s behalf, but athlete participation has been mixed up in administrative disputes. India was initially expected to field two competitors: Arif Mohammad Khan in Alpine Skiing and Stanzin Lundup in Cross-Country Skiing.
The selection of Stanzin Lundup was challenged by Manjeet, who argued that he was unjustly overlooked despite being ranked number one among Indian athletes in the International Ski and Snowboard Federation standings. The Delhi High Court ruled in Manjeet’s favour, strongly criticising the Indian Olympic Association for what it described as an arbitrary and unfair selection process.
Despite the court’s intervention, the International Olympic Committee rejected Manjeet’s inclusion, citing his name had not been part of the long list submitted earlier. As a result, India will now compete with only one confirmed athlete, while Stanzin Lundup remains stranded in New Delhi awaiting clarity.
What should have been a moment of national sporting pride has instead highlighted persistent governance gaps. Once again, athletes find themselves paying the price for administrative inefficiencies.
