From Ladakh to Bronze: India’s Women Rewrite Ice Hockey History

Jun 11, 2025 Khushi Kumari

India’s women ice hockey team began on cracked, makeshift rinks in the high-altitude chill of Ladakh and Spiti Valley

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With minimal support, they flooded and froze fields at midnight—building their own ice rink one layer at a time

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Denied proper gear and rink time, they were told to give up—mocked for playing a “man’s sport” in the freezing cold

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Undeterred, they practiced through the long nights, turning every frozen pond into their proving ground

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Their grit led them to Al-Ain, UAE, for the 2025 IIHF Women’s Asia Cup, facing five nations over six days

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With three wins and two losses, India secured its first-ever bronze medal, carving its name in international hockey history

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The bronze sparked nationwide congratulations from Ladakh’s villages to India’s sports corridors

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