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Navneet Singh
New Delhi
Global warming has severely impacted practice for ice hockey in Ladakh, Northern India, according to the national women’s ice hockey team coach, Tsewang Gyaltson. The location has a minimum elevation of 3,000 meters above sea level.
According to Gyaltson, a couple of years ago, practice for ice hockey was possible for more than three months in winters in Leh, the capital of Ladakh. But not now due to climate change. Since there are no indoor facilities for ice hockey in Ladakh, practice in the region is only possible in winter, that too when the snowfall is good.
The 30-year-old coach told Sportskeeda on the sidelines of the sendoff ceremony for the national women’s ice hockey team on Monday evening:
“These days, we can hardly practice for two months from December until the end of January as the snowfall due to global warming is inadequate.”
Whether this occurrence is merely cyclical remains to be seen as the years pass.
The 20-member national women’s ice hockey team will compete at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s Asia and Oceania Championships scheduled for April 30 in Bangkok. The majority of the team members are from Ladakh, while two are from Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh.
The team, led by Tsewang Chuskit, will leave Tuesday for Thailand to have three weeks of practice sessions in Bangkok.
“We are going prior to the competition to practice as there aren’t any indoor facilities in India,” Gylatson added. “The team members were doing general conditioning work in Leh, but needed to practice on a proper ice rink before the competition.”
Alleged global warming isn't the only hurdle for ice hockey in India
Winter sports, including ice hockey, aren’t popular in India. The women’s ice hockey team has been crowdfunded in the past to compete at the international level.
The coach said the players have also been sharing playing equipment, including hockey sticks. This is due to how expensive they are and not within reach of local players who are generally from humble backgrounds.
“To practice and compete in Thailand, the Ladakh government has funded the trip this time,” Gylatson said.
Nonetheless, Gylatson is hopeful that things will improve in the near future so an indoor ice hockey arena can be introduced in Leh.
