Blueprint for Development of Ice Hockey in Ladakh launched

be a game changer in consistently improving India’s performance in the sport on the global stage. I would like to thank the Hon’ble Union Minister, Shri Anurag Thakur, for his support to the development of this document and to the Administration of UT Ladakh for commissioning Royal Enfield to develop this blueprint,” said Bidisha Dey, Executive Director, Eicher Group Foundation.

“A key component of the Blueprint is to create a competitive environment at a grassroot level to grow the sport. This would provide a platform for local talent to be identified and nurtured. Towards this, Royal Enfield and the Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh are planning training camps across Ladakh, where teams will be selected to participate in a league based tournament in Leh, this winter,” she added.

With more than 90% of India’s Ice Hockey players hailing from Ladakh winter sports is emerging as a promising avenue towards building resilience and generating livelihood opportunities—particularly for the youth. It can also simultaneously boost winter tourism, potentially transforming Ladakh into a coveted winter sports destination.

Commissioned by the Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Royal Enfield collaborated with the European Business and Technical Centre (EBTC) and all relevant local, national and international stakeholders to develop this Blueprint, shaping the future of Ice hockey and winter sports in India. Reviewed by and created with inputs from the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), this holistic document covers requirements for equipment and infrastructure, scouting and nurturing local talent, conducting training camps with the involvement of international coaches and professional governance, among other things.

“I would like to thank the Hon’ble Union Minister, Shri Anurag Thakur for his support to the blueprint and Royal Enfield for creating this Blueprint for the Development of Ice Hockey in Ladakh. Ice Hockey is already very popular in Ladakh with the region contributing 90% of players hailing from here. With this blueprint now and with the support of all stakeholders, including the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) who visited the UT in June 2023 and reviewed the document and shared their inputs, there is now a roadmap in place to help the sport reach new heights. At the end of January, we will be hosting the Khelo India Winter Games in Ladakh and the support extended to us by the Government of India and Royal Enfield will go a long way towards establishing the Union Territory as a sporting destination,” said Shri Ravinder Kumar (IAS), Secretary to the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh and Department of Youth & Sports, Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh.

While the document has been commissioned by the Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh and has been created to develop the sport in Ladakh, it is not limited in its scope. It can be used as a template for developing the sport in other Himalayan states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Royal Enfield is currently working with all stakeholders to grow winter sports particularly Ice Hockey and winter tourism across the Himalayas, including in Himachal Pradesh where the brand will support the development of the sport with training, infrastructure, equipment and the set up of a Spiti Cup.

In Ladakh, Royal Enfield has already supported the development of the sport with a ‘train the trainer’ programme where 20 coaches were trained by coaches brought in from Germany. More than 500 children have been provided training in ice skating, which is the starting point for anyone aspiring to play ice hockey. Additionally, 70 ice hockey kits have been procured and will be distributed to players who don’t have access to sporting equipment.