Zahoor Lone-led Team India wins bronze in world snow sculpting championship

Story by ATV | Posted by Aasha Khosa | Date 01-02-2026

Team India -Zahoor Ahmed Lone, Suhail Mohammad Khan, Mridul Upadhyay with their snow sculpture

New Delhi

For a second time, team India, has won a bronze medal and the Peoples' choice award in the international snow sculpture championship held in Colorado, USA.

The Indian team was led by the Kashmir-born Zahoor Ahmed Lone and comprises Suhail Mohammad Khan, Mridul Upadhyay, and Matt Seeley (USA).

While Lone belongs to Singhpora Pattan, Baramulla, Khan is a specially-abled person and also belongs to Kashmir.

The organisers of the International Snow Sculpture Championship shared this visual of the competition on their website:

Breaking psychological barriers about India being a "hot country" and unfit for snow sports or arts, young Indians from "snow states" and others are gradually leaving their mark on snow art. Snow art has been associated with affluent First World Western European, Scandinavian & North American countries.

Team India’s 16 ft tall piece, “Corn: The Ultimate Domesticator — Who is truly in control?”, reimagines human history with humour and depth.

It’s inspired by Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens. The artists explored the idea that while humans believe they domesticated corn, perhaps corn—or crops—have been domesticating us, shaping our agriculture, diets, and landscapes for centuries.

The venue of the International Sculpting Championship

The sculpture invited audiences to reflect on the relationship between nature and humanity, sparking both curiosity and laughter among visitors and judges alike

The four-member Indian team, led by Suhail Mohammad Khan, worked tirelessly for four days in freezing temperatures ranging from -25°C to -35°C.

This marks Team Snow India becoming the first south Asian country to participate and win –a second time – an international medal in snow sculpting.

“Winning both the jury’s and the people’s awards is truly special. Every flake of snow here tells a story—of teamwork, passion, and India’s creative spirit,” said Mridul Upadhyay from Team Snow India, told media.

Zahoor Ahmad Lone said that despite the challenging weather conditions and time constraints, Team India’s sculpture impressed the judges and spectators alike with its elegance and precision. The 5-judge panel took more than 6 hours to evaluate 12 snow sculptures.

India ranked third, while Korea secured first and Mongolia second, amongst teams like the US, Finland, Canada, Argentina, and Turkey.

This achievement marks a significant milestone for Indian snow sculpting, showcasing the country’s talent and creativity globally.

The competition, held in Breckenridge, Colorado, featured 12 teams from around the world, including the US, Germany, Mexico, Finland, Canada, Mongolia, South Korea, Argentina, and Turkey.

Teams from Argentina, Germany, Finland, India, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea, Ukraine, USA – Breckenridge, and USA – Vermont participated in the championship.

The first prize – a gold – was won by Team Republic of Korea for their work “Beauty Beyond Difference: Harmony of Coexistence”

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Team Magnolia won a Silver for “Lassoing Time”