Ice hockey in India | |
---|---|
Country | India |
Governing body | Ice Hockey Association of India |
National team(s) | Men Women |
First played | 1989[1] |
National competitions | |
Ice hockey is a sport that is gaining popularity in India.[2][3] Ice hockey is played mostly in places like Ladakh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in the north of India, where cold weather occurs and the game can be played outdoors.[4] Ice hockey enthusiasts from other places in the country, as well as expatriates from abroad, head to places like Ladakh for the experience of playing in some of the highest elevated rinks in the world. There are a few artificial indoor ice skating rinks in the rest of the country, such as the Doon Ice Rink in Dehradun,[5] which can accommodate ice hockey with an international-sized rink.
Ice Hockey was part of the 2020 Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg.[6]
Ladakh is host to the world's highest altitude ice hockey tournament.[7]
Ice Hockey in India is monitored by the Indian Ice Hockey Association. The India national ice hockey team has been competing at the international level since 2009[8] with head coach Adam Sherlip behind the bench during the tournament in Abu Dhabi. Adam also coached in Ladakh through The Hockey Foundation.[9] India won the 2nd position in IIHF men Challenge Cup of Asia Div 1 at Kuwait and Women's team secured the 3th position at Abu Dhabi.[10]
The country's two oldest ice hockey clubs are the Shimla Ice Skating Club, which has existed since 1920 but began playing ice hockey much later, and the Ladakh Winter Sports Club, which was established in 1995.[11] The present clubs affiliated to the IHAI are:[12][13]
In 2011, an Indo-Canadian film Speedy Singhs based on an Indian ice hockey team was produced by actor Akshay Kumar, who is a fan of the sport. He also made a contribution to the Ice Hockey Association of India to encourage greater participation and awareness in the sport.[15][16][17][18][19]