In the larger imagination of Indian sport, hockey has always meant green turf, curved sticks and Olympic triumphs. Yet, thousands of kilometres away from the nation’s traditional sporting nerve centres, another version of hockey, Ice Hockey has been quietly carving its own identity played not on grass, but on frozen lakes at altitudes exceeding 11,000 feet.
At the heart of this unlikely sporting story stands Namgyal Tundup, the captain of India’s first-ever national ice hockey team that made its international debut at the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia in 2009. Speaking at the Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League Season 3 about his journey from playing on naturally frozen ponds in Ladakh to representing India on the global stage mirrors the evolution of Indian ice hockey itself.
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Ice sports in India trace their documented roots back to Shimla in the early 20th century, where British administrators established the Shimla Ice Skating Club in 1920. For decades, winter recreation in the hill stations of northern India remained an elite pursuit, dependent on favourable climatic conditions and limited largely to expatriate communities.
However, as winters became shorter and less predictable in these lower Himalayan regions, ice hockey found a new geographical home in Ladakh during the 1970s. Military units such as the Ladakh Scouts began using frozen streams and high-altitude lakes for training and recreation. What started as informal winter pastime soon became a structured sporting activity, with local youth naturally acclimatised to extreme conditions emerging as the backbone of India’s ice hockey ecosystem.
It was within this unique confluence of geography and opportunity that Namgyal Tundup’s journey began.
“I started in 2000. I got the chance to play for the Red Sports Club,” Tundup recalls, reflecting on the early days of his career. “At that time, we used to play without sideboards or proper infrastructure.”
The conditions were rudimentary. Equipment was scarce. The game was played on uneven natural ice surfaces, often marked by improvised goalposts and minimal protective gear. Yet, these limitations shaped a generation of players who learned to adapt to both the sport and the environment simultaneously.
The 2009 Breakthrough
India’s participation in the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia in Abu Dhabi in 2009 marked a watershed moment for the sport. The national team composed entirely of players from Ladakh symbolised decades of grassroots passion finally finding international expression.
As captain of that historic squad, Tundup carried not just the responsibility of leadership but also the hopes of a region where winter sport had long been sustained by community effort rather than institutional support. The team’s selection was itself a reflection of ice hockey’s military and civilian roots in Ladakh. Many players had honed their skills on frozen ponds such as the Karzoo lake in Leh, where seasonal winter tournaments served as informal talent incubators.
For Tundup, the experience was transformative. Yet, it also exposed the stark infrastructural gap between India and established ice hockey nations.
“Generally, ice hockey is more famous in Europe, the US and Canada,” he notes. “I don’t find a reason why people can’t connect to it here. I think it’s more about how well we are prepared and how much we speak about it.”
Perhaps the most visible change in Indian ice hockey over the past two decades has been the gradual development of artificial infrastructure.
“When we started, there was nothing,” Tundup says. “Today, now many years later, we have the latest world-class ice hockey rink in front of us. We also have one in Dehradun.”
The construction of artificial rinks has been a critical step in addressing one of the sport’s most persistent challenges seasonality. Traditionally, players in Ladakh could only train for three winter months each year, limiting technical development and competitive consistency.
Now, year-round access to ice surfaces has allowed younger players to train systematically.
“The kids now get the opportunity to practise for 12 months,” he explains. “Earlier, they had to wait for winter just to play the original form of ice hockey.”
This transition has not only improved skill development but also expanded the sport’s geographical footprint beyond Leh and Dehradun something Tundup believes is essential for long-term growth.
“It’s quite famous in Leh,” he admits. When mentioned about it being famous in Leh and Dehradun but what are we doing for it?”
Beyond Performance: Building Awareness
For Tundup, the next phase of Indian ice hockey’s evolution lies in awareness rather than ability. The speed and intensity of the sport, he believes, have the potential to captivate Indian audiences provided there is adequate exposure.
Unlike traditional Indian team sports, however, ice hockey has struggled to find visibility outside niche communities. Global leagues such as the NHL continue to dominate popular imagination, while Asian participation at elite international levels remains limited.
When mentioned that there was no Asian team in the last world championship, Tundup observes, highlighting the performance gap that still separates emerging nations from established ice hockey powers.
A Legacy Still in Motion
Despite these challenges, the sport’s trajectory in India continues to move forward driven by institutional initiatives, corporate partnerships and grassroots enthusiasm.
For pioneers like Namgyal Tundup, the journey has always been about more than medals or rankings. It is about ensuring that the next generation of players does not have to begin where his did on frozen ponds without infrastructure or recognition.
“The kids got to learn a lot in the training we just did,” he says of recent developmental camps. “All this is being done so that they can go further than we did.”
From the frozen lakes of Ladakh to international arenas, Tundup’s story encapsulates the quiet resilience of Indian ice hockey a sport shaped as much by terrain and climate as by determination.
And as artificial rinks rise where natural ice once dictated opportunity, the legacy of India’s first ice hockey captain continues to guide the sport toward a more structured and sustainable future.
