Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Ice hockey in India

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Country
  
India

First played
  
1985

National team
  
Men's national team

Ice hockey in India

Governing body
  
Ice Hockey Association of India

Ice hockey is a sport that is gaining popularity in India. Ice hockey is played mostly in places like Shimla, Ladakh and Kashmir in the north of India, where cold weather occurs and the game can be played outdoors. There are a few artificial indoor ice skating rinks in the rest of the country, which has a warm tropical climate, including the Doon Ice Rink in Dehra Dun, which can accommodate ice hockey with an international-sized rink. 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 rinks in the world.

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 Federation of India to encourage greater participation and awareness in the sport.

The India national ice hockey team has been competing at the international level since 2009 with Head Coach Adam Sherlip behind the bench during the tournament in Abu Dhabi, UAE as well as the 2012 tournament hosted by India at the Doon Ice Rink. Adam also coaches ice hockey in Ladakh through The Hockey Foundation

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 1935. The present clubs affiliated to the IHAI are:

  • Ladakh Winter Sports Club
  • Ladakh Scouts
  • Chandigarh Winter Games Association
  • Haryana Skiing and Ice Hockey Association
  • Ice Hockey Association of Jammu and Kashmir
  • Shimla Ice Skating Club
  • High Altitude Warfare School
  • Ex-Servicemen League
  • Kargil Ice and Snow Sports Club
  • Ice Hockey Association of Uttarakhand
  • Delhi Ice Hockey Association
  • Indo-Tibetan Border Police
  • References

    Ice hockey in India Wikipedia