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]