India national ice hockey team
Encyclopedia
The India national ice hockey team is the national ice hockey
team of India
, and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation
.
Ice hockey in India has surprisingly deep roots. Areas like Shimla, Kashmir and Ladakh have traditionally cold climates. As early as 1985, the Indian Army and local youth started playing the game to occupy themselves in the winter. They used improvised field hockey sticks and converted shoe polish tins to act as pucks.
Today, the sport has come a long way since then. It is played at the national level in Ladakh, Shimla and Kashmir. Even though there are no artificial rinks available in the country, the game flourishes at these locations during the winters.
The northern states of India have six teams that play at the national level and in addition they conduct very active Learn to Play programs for the children and women.
Many ex-pats from the Canadian and Russian consulates in Mumbai and Delhi have been playing the game in Ladakh.
Ice Hockey gear was not and is still not available to buy in Ladakh. The few people who have contacts outside Ladakh have requested friends to get ice hockey skates. The Ladakh Scouts are well equipped as they get their gear through the army. The J&K tourism also have a full set of equipment but are quite reluctant to spare any. The only place in India where anything close to ice games and equipment is available is Shimla a small hill station in the northwestern part of India where they have an ice skating rink and fancy ice skating is enjoyed by the young and old alike. 2 Chinese shoemaker brothers here began making ice skates and these are still used.
The local Ladakhis enjoyed this winter sport but due to lack of gear began to improvise and the first teams began by getting the ice skating blades from Shimla and nailing them to the army ammunition boots-quite a feat to balance those huge boots wearing 3-4 layers of socks inside on the blades but this is how they began. Roller skating and ordinary ground hockey sticks were used. What takes the cream is the improvisation of puck-the thick rubber heels of the army and other boots were cut to a rounded shape and used. Goal keepers were the ground hockey pads and helmets were never used and neither were elbow and knee pads by other players. Players were always scared to get hurt but undeterred they played and many had cuts/bruises and stitches on their heads but the game continued.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
.
Ice hockey in India has surprisingly deep roots. Areas like Shimla, Kashmir and Ladakh have traditionally cold climates. As early as 1985, the Indian Army and local youth started playing the game to occupy themselves in the winter. They used improvised field hockey sticks and converted shoe polish tins to act as pucks.
Today, the sport has come a long way since then. It is played at the national level in Ladakh, Shimla and Kashmir. Even though there are no artificial rinks available in the country, the game flourishes at these locations during the winters.
The northern states of India have six teams that play at the national level and in addition they conduct very active Learn to Play programs for the children and women.
Many ex-pats from the Canadian and Russian consulates in Mumbai and Delhi have been playing the game in Ladakh.
Background of Ice Hockey in Ladakh
The history of Ice hockey dates back to almost a 100 years where ice hockey was a favorite pass time for the British in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. The Shimla Ice Skating club is still very active in promoting ice sports in India. Since the early 70’s the Ladakh Scouts, battalion of the Indian army who are posted in the high border regions took up the game. The high Changthang Plateau with its frozen streams and high altitude lakes formed an ideal place to play ice hockey and since then spread amongst the army and continued to be played by them. The game however gained popularity when they began exhibition matches in Leh in the winter. Since there is nothing to do in the harsh winter and the locals began to play in the small irrigation pond in Karzoo, Leh.Ice Hockey gear was not and is still not available to buy in Ladakh. The few people who have contacts outside Ladakh have requested friends to get ice hockey skates. The Ladakh Scouts are well equipped as they get their gear through the army. The J&K tourism also have a full set of equipment but are quite reluctant to spare any. The only place in India where anything close to ice games and equipment is available is Shimla a small hill station in the northwestern part of India where they have an ice skating rink and fancy ice skating is enjoyed by the young and old alike. 2 Chinese shoemaker brothers here began making ice skates and these are still used.
The local Ladakhis enjoyed this winter sport but due to lack of gear began to improvise and the first teams began by getting the ice skating blades from Shimla and nailing them to the army ammunition boots-quite a feat to balance those huge boots wearing 3-4 layers of socks inside on the blades but this is how they began. Roller skating and ordinary ground hockey sticks were used. What takes the cream is the improvisation of puck-the thick rubber heels of the army and other boots were cut to a rounded shape and used. Goal keepers were the ground hockey pads and helmets were never used and neither were elbow and knee pads by other players. Players were always scared to get hurt but undeterred they played and many had cuts/bruises and stitches on their heads but the game continued.
Team
| Goaltenders | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | DOB | Team |
| Naik Sonam Gurmat | December 22, 1980 (age 31) |  Ladakh Scouts Regiment |
|
| Punchok Wantak | May 01, 1973 (age 38) | J&K (Blue) |
|
| Sonam Paldan | June 13, 1968 (age 43) | Indo-Tibetan Border Police Indo-Tibetan Border Police The Indo-Tibetan Border Police is an Indian force conceived on October 24, 1962 for security along the India's border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, border covering 2115 kilometres... |
| Defencemen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | DOB | Team |
| Abdul Gaffar Giri | May 13, 1983 (age 28) | J&K (Blue) |
|
| Tsewang Dorjay | May 18, 1970 (age 41) | Ladakh Scouts Regiment |
|
| Tsewang Phulchok | January 05, 1983 (age 29) | Ladakh Scouts Regiment |
|
| Konchok Rabgais | March 01, 1977 (age 34) | Indo-Tibetan Border Police Indo-Tibetan Border Police The Indo-Tibetan Border Police is an Indian force conceived on October 24, 1962 for security along the India's border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, border covering 2115 kilometres... |
|
| Lopzang Tsewang | January 23, 1973 (age 39) | J&K (Blue) |
|
| Rigzen Samdup | May 05, 1985 (age 26) | Ex Servicemen League |
|
| Tsewang Namgail | June 03, 1976 (age 35) | Indo-Tibetan Border Police Indo-Tibetan Border Police The Indo-Tibetan Border Police is an Indian force conceived on October 24, 1962 for security along the India's border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, border covering 2115 kilometres... |
|
| Tundup Namgyal (Captain) | February 13, 1975 (age 36) | J&K (Blue) |
| Forwards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | DOB | Team |
| Abdul Qayoom | May 07, 1980 (age 31) | Indo-Tibetan Border Police Indo-Tibetan Border Police The Indo-Tibetan Border Police is an Indian force conceived on October 24, 1962 for security along the India's border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, border covering 2115 kilometres... |
|
| Ali Amar | February 01, 1980 (age 32) | Indo-Tibetan Border Police Indo-Tibetan Border Police The Indo-Tibetan Border Police is an Indian force conceived on October 24, 1962 for security along the India's border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, border covering 2115 kilometres... |
|
| Phunchok Angchok | March 03, 1973 (age 38) | Ladakh Scouts Regiment |
|
| Deachen Outsal | April 06, 1973 (age 38) | Indian Army Indian Army The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army... |
|
| Ranchen Tundup | October 10, 1984 (age 27) | Ladakh Scouts Regiment |
|
| Thupstan Tsering | June 01, 1979 (age 32) | Ladakh Scouts Regiment |
|
| Manzoor Hassan | April 11, 1979 (age 32) | Kargil Ice & Snow Sports Club |
|
| Mohammad Ajaz Giri | August 28, 1985 (age 26) | J&K (Blue) |
|
| Mohammad Iqbal | May 13, 1984 (age 27) | Kargil Ice & Snow Sports Club |
|
| Mushtaque Ahmed Giri | April 28, 1990 (age 21) | J&K (Blue) |
|
| Ponchok Namgail | July 15, 1977 (age 34) | Indo-Tibetan Border Police Indo-Tibetan Border Police The Indo-Tibetan Border Police is an Indian force conceived on October 24, 1962 for security along the India's border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, border covering 2115 kilometres... |
|
| Skarma Tashi | July 30, 1977 (age 34) | Indo-Tibetan Border Police Indo-Tibetan Border Police The Indo-Tibetan Border Police is an Indian force conceived on October 24, 1962 for security along the India's border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, border covering 2115 kilometres... |
|
| Sonam Gayaltson | July 03, 1990 (age 21) | Ex Servicemen League |
|
| Tsering Dorjey | January 01, 1975 (age 37) | J&K (Blue) |
|
| Tsering Dorjey Sangay | July 03, 1973 (age 38) | J&K (Blue) |