Ladakh ice hockey teams bask in their new-found identities

Ladakh became an independent ice-hockey team after it got Union Territory status
in October 2019
The ice-hockey teams of the Union Territory of Ladakh have been making news
for all the right reasons. Ever since Ladakh was separated from Jammu and
Kashmir and given Union Territory status in October 2019, the men’s and
women’s teams have found their own identities in Indian ice-hockey.
The men’s team created history at the 13 th national ice-hockey championships held
in Kaza, Himachal Pradesh, from January 19-24, 2024. Ladakh men outsmarted
favourites ITBP 4-1 to clinch the national title. It was a dream come true after 11
years. Ladhaki women finished with the silver after losing to ITBP 2-1. The final
was decided by a shootout.
“The gold at Kaza is just the beginning. We hope to bring gold next year as well
and the year after that too,” said youngster Ghulam Mustafa, who plays as a
defender. The joy of representing Ladakh is palpable on his face.
Ice-hockey has been dominated by the Army and ITBP teams. To challenge them
and win the nationals as an independent UT has indeed been a creditable
performance. Ladakh women, of course, have done relatively better than the men,
having won the gold in 2022 and the silver medals in 2021, 2023 and 2024. Ladakh
men won silver in 2021 nationals and bronze in 2022 and 2023.
At the Khelo India Winter Games 2024 in Leh, the Ladakh teams made a good
impression. While the Ladakh men’s team lost in the semifinals against ITBP, the
women went all the way to the final but were humbled by the ITBP girls 4-0.

For 24-year-old Stanzin Angchok, the captain of the Ladakh men’s team, it’s been
quite a journey. Having taken up the sport at 13, Stanzin talks about how he went
from playing on borrowed equipment to becoming the captain of the UT team.
“Our current team consists of young players and we as a team have received a lot
of help from the Ice-Hockey Association of Ladakh as well as Ice-Hockey
Association of India. There is a stereotype specially in Ladakh that Army and
ITBP teams are the ones that are always in the final. This, we have broken at the
Kaza nationals,” said Stanzin.
Tsewang Gyalson is a superstar in the Ladakh men’s team. The defender was India
captain from 2015 to 2019. He emphasizes the importance of rearing a team made
of civilians. “It’s a great opportunity for Ladhakis. My hope is that we can
represent India on the international front and be regarded as a great team,” said
Gyalson.
Ladakh has been focusing on younger players to build sides for the future. The
youngest in both the UT teams are school-going teenagers. In the men’s team it is
the 17-year-old goalkeeper Tsewang Namgyal and in the women’s team, it is
Samina Khatun, all of 14!
“The selection for the UT Ladakh teams happens by a committee that focuses on
key areas like skating, puck handling, agility, positioning, etc. Discipline is a very
important factor for the team. This led to our win at Kaza,” said current men’s
coach Karma Rigyal Stan.
Tsewang Chuskit, 30, remembers how times have changed in Ladakh ice-hockey.
Hailing from the Tangtse village, Chuskit is the captain of the women’s team since
2020. “When we started out as an ice hockey player there were not many who
played the sport and there was a time when we used to send messages to each other
to come and be a part of the team. Now, 65 girls applied to be part of the UT
Ladakh team before the Kaza nationals,” said Chuskit.

Ice-hockey comes naturally to Ladakh players. “We have access to natural ice
facilities that are not too far away from our homes. I started my journey when I
was 10 years old and at that age everyone around me played ice hockey, be it my
brother or uncle. I think we Ladhakis have this opportunity that we can start at a
very young age and better our careers,” said Chuskit.
Till 2022, the national women's ice hockey team was made up entirely of girls
from Ladakh. Talking about future aspirations of the team, the captain added, “I
hope that one day all the young players from the team get an opportunity to play at
the international level,” said Chuskit.
The women ice hockey players of Ladakh have played a key role in promoting the
sport. In 2015, the Ladakh Women’s Ice Hockey Foundation was formed. In 2018,
three coaches from LWIHF travelled to Kaza to train young kids in Himachal
Pradesh. They gifted 50 skates to kids and trained them for 15 days. The best 15
were then given advanced coaching in Leh. These kids represented Himachal at the
2019 Gulmarg nationals.
This is the first time that the women’s category has been included in the Khelo
India Winter Games ice-hockey programme. Four teams — Ladakh, ITBP,
Himachal Pradesh and Telangana — participated.
(eom)
Captions:
The victorious Ladakh men’s team that won the gold at the nationals in Kaza,
Himachal Pradesh in January, 2024. (Pix: ICAL)
The Ladakh women’s team that won silver at the Khelo India Winter Games, 2024.
(DIPR-Ladakh)
ABOUT KHELO INDIA WINTER GAMES 2024

The Khelo India Winter Games 2024 is the fourth edition of the annual event in the
Khelo India calendar. The Union Territory of Ladakh is making its debut as hosts this year
alongside the UT of Jammu & Kashmir, which has organised the Games from 2020. Leh
will be the venue for the first part of the Games from February 2-6. The Games are
scheduled to move to Gulmarg between February 21-25. While Ladakh will be
conducting games — ice hockey and speed skating — Jammu and Kashmir will conduct ski
mountaineering, Alpine skiing, snowboarding, Nordic ski and gandola. The Khelo India
Winter Games are part of the Khelo India Mission, a brainchild of Hon’ble Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi. It is the PM’s endeavour to give importance to all types of
Olympic sports and produce a feeder channel of talented sportspersons who can shine
for India at the highest levels of sporting excellence.