In a historic milestone for Indian winter sports, the Indian Women’s Ice Hockey Team has won a bronze medal at the IIHF Women’s Asia Cup 2025, held in the United Arab Emirates.This fabulous accomplishment is being celebrated across the country, as it marks one of the largest accomplishments in India’s history of ice hockey.

The Indian team showed commitment and performance on the global stage having trained exclusively at the newly launched Himadri Ice Rink in Dehradun. Their performance underscores the growing strength of India’s presence in winter sports, a domain traditionally dominated by colder countries.

Triumph Rooted in Dehradun’s Revived Ice Rink

The Himadri Ice Rink at the Maharana Sports Complex in Raipur (Dehradun) was officially reopened on 5 May 2025 by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami. The reopening event also saw the presence of Hon’ble Sports Minister Smt. Rekha Arya, both of whom reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to promoting winter sports infrastructure.

It was at this state-of-the-art facility that the Indian Women’s Team underwent their training camp before their Asia Cup journey. Mr. Harjinder Singh, General Secretary of the Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI), expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Department of Sports, Government of Uttarakhand, and Principal Secretary (Sports) Shri Amit Sinha for their unwavering support. He emphasized that the medal was a direct result of the collective efforts of the state and sport administration.

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Return and Commencement of National Championships

The medal-winning team arrived in Dehradun on 7 June 2025, just in time for the start of the National Ice Hockey Championships being hosted at the same Himadri Ice Rink. The championships feature a wide spectrum of India’s ice hockey talent and include competitions in the following three categories:

• 12th IHAI National Women’s Championship 2025
• 10th IHAI U18 Boys National Championship 2025
• 14th IHAI National Men’s Championship 2025

The ceremonial puck drop was graced by Ms. Rinchen Dolma, the first captain of the Indian Women’s Ice Hockey Team, who led the team during its international debut in 2016. Her presence was a symbolic bridge between the foundation of the sport and its present triumph.

Participating Teams Breakdown

Women’s Teams: ITBP, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana, Rajasthan

U18 Boys Teams: Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu

Men’s Teams: ITBP, Army, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttarakhand

Match Highlights (As of 8 June 2025)

12th Women’s Championship:

• Himachal Pradesh def. Haryana (4–0)
• Ladakh def. Rajasthan (Goal Difference > 5)
• ITBP def. Telangana (Goal Difference > 5)
• Himachal Pradesh def. Rajasthan (4–1)
• ITBP def. Haryana (Goal Difference > 5)

10th U18 Boys Championship:

• Rajasthan def. Telangana (7–3)

14th Men’s Championship:

• Army def. Karnataka (Goal Difference > 5)
• Haryana def. Uttarakhand (Goal Difference > 5)

These early results signal intense competition and growing depth in the national talent pool.

A Vision for the Future of Indian Ice Hockey

With the Himadri Ice Rink now operational as a national facility, Dehradun is becoming a hub for ice hockey in India. The IHAI has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding the availability of the sport in India, particularly in states that traditionally have not been associated with winter sports.

The bronze medal win is expected to stimulate further government and private support with hopes to increase funding for camps, improvement in training facilities and other youth development programs. The national championships currently underway are not only a celebration of this success but also a platform to scout and nurture the next generation of athletes.

As the championship matches continue over the coming days, the eyes of Indian sports fans remain fixed on Dehradun, the new heart of Indian ice hockey.

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