Indian Ice Hockey set for first-ever international challenge

March 12, 2009

The Ice Hockey Association of India is set to send its first ever, national Ice Hockey team to Abu Dhabi for the Asian Challenge Cup starting March 15th 2009. The tournament is being jointly organised by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the UAE Ice Hockey Association. Besides India, the other teams that will participate in the event are Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Macau, UAE, Mongolia and Thailand. India will face its first opponent – Thailand, on March 15th.

Ice Hockey is fairly new in India and is played at the national level in Ladakh, Shimla and Kashmir. The national team was selected after the recently concluded 4th National Ice Hockey Championships in January 2009. The team comprises of 20 players and five standby players who were picked from the leading national teams of the Indian army, Ladakh scouts regiment, Kargil, j&k , ITBP and ex servicemen league.

Speaking on the eve of the team’s departure, Col. N. Kumar, Chief Patron of the Ice Hockey Association of India said: “It is an extremely proud moment for us. We have been playing Ice Hockey at the National level for a few years now, but this is the first time that India will be represented in the international arena.”

Mr. Akash Passey, MD, Volvo Buses, the main sponsors of the first national Ice Hockey team, said: “Internationally, Volvo has been an ardent supporter of the sport for many years now and Volvo Buses is proud to continue with this association in India.”

Speaking on the support from Volvo Buses, Col N. Kumar said: “Volvo Buses, India has generously offered assistance towards expenses of the team for the Asian Challenge Cup and have offered to support us in our endeavour to make the sport more popular in India.”

While the IIHF and the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, GOI, do offer limited support for coaching, competition and basic equipment, all other expenses related to professional equipment, airfare, taxes and food costs for the international meet have been met through sponsorship such as Volvo Buses as well as assistance from friends and fans of Indian Ice Hockey.

This fast-paced sport is played passionately in the Himalayan areas of Ladakh and Himachal, which have natural freezing during winter months. At a dizzying 11,500 feet, Ice Hockey in the Himalayas presents unique challenges. Even though there are no artificial rinks available in the country, the game flourishes at these locations during the winters. The Government of India is now investing in Ice Hockey rinks all over the country with the first one coming up in Dehradun (250 kms from Delhi) by April / May 2009. 

Ice Hockey is today the fastest and the most exciting team game in the world. A non-stop action and contact sport, it has caught the imagination of millions all over the world. A sport that was initially restricted to the cold climates of USA, Canada, Russia and Europe, it has over time and with technology, progressed year-round with facilities like artificial ice. Today, countries like Canada and Russia have more than 3,000 functional ice hockey rinks spread across the country.

About the IHAI:
The Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) is the national body coordinating the sport in India. It is a recognized member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the Indian Olympic Association.  Since the past six years the IHAI has been working to promote the game in India. As of now, there are more than 25 clubs playing the sport with seven teams that play at the National Level.