A warmer-than-usual winter in Ladakh this year has robbed ice hockey enthusiasts of conditions favourable to the game, as fans are being used to keep the temperatures down and keep the arena frozen.
Climate change is making itself apparent in the icy climes of Ladakh, where the fate of a favourite winter sport, ice hockey, now hangs in the balance. Rinks and natural frozen water bodies can no longer be relied upon to provide the ideal conditions for the sport as higher-than-usual temperatures cause these icy surfaces to develop puddles and shrink.
Ice hockey isn’t just a mere source of recreation and entertainment but also a means of empowerment and social cohesion in Ladakh. It provides youth with opportunities to pursue the game professionally.
Many organisations and initiatives have emerged to support and promote ice hockey in the union territory. These efforts include establishing local clubs, providing equipment and infrastructure and organising coaching programmes and competitions.
But the thriving ice hockey community in Ladakh, especially in Kargil, now faces an unprecedented challenge as warm winters disrupt traditional ice rink preparation. Dreams of many aspiring players are in peril due to the lack of conducive conditions for forming natural ice.
Ice hockey is an annual affair in winter when temperatures plummet and ponds freeze but this year relatively higher temperatures caused the ice on outdoor rinks to melt, leading to uneven surfaces.
The town of Kargil in Ladakh witnessed the rare use of cooling fans in mid-January when fluctuating temperatures wreaked havoc on the outdoor rink at the Khree Sultan Cho stadium.
“We have never experienced challenges like this before in maintaining optimal ice conditions,” said Mehboob Ali, 35, who is in charge of the stadium. “Warmer temperatures impacted ice quality and diminished overall performance of the game like decreased traction for skaters and slower puck movement.”
Ali added that the need to maintain optimal ice conditions during a warm winter is a rare occurrence, making it difficult for them to take decisions. It is only during the short-lived winter that ice hockey enthusiasts get to practise for two or three months on frozen ponds and lakes.
“We don’t have recourse to an elaborate cooling system, and have no resources for ice resurfacing or a refrigeration system. All we could think of is using table fans from our respective homes to get the job done,” Ali revealed.
The growing popularity of the sport here – the number of ice hockey clubs went up from eight in 2022 to 36 in 2024 – shows that the youngsters are taking to it in big numbers. This is why there is a growing concern for ice hockey enthusiasts when there isn’t enough ice around for them to play and practise.
“For the players, the winter months are the only hope to hone their skills on natural frozen water bodies. But as the planet warms, the ice hockey season is shrinking and shattering many dreams,” said Zia Ur Rahman Mir, 35, a coach at the local ice hockey club Humas Warriors Drass, Kargil.
“Climate change is chipping away at Kargil’s winter ice, limiting the opportunities for young people to engage in outdoor ice hockey. It may also decrease interest in the sport,” Mir further said, adding that they also had to cancel the international ice hockey workshop by a contingent from the Czech Republic.
The trend appears to apply to Leh as well with the contraction of the winter season adversely impacting outdoor ice skating. A frozen dam in Basgoo, which is a go-to ice rink for the locals, was also closed to the public at the end of January when the ice surface melted away.
The shorter the winter gets, the more work organisers and the administration have to do to make sure there is ice to play on. One such plan is to build an all-weather Olympic-sized ice hockey rink in Leh, followed by another in Kargil. Delegations from the International Ice Hockey Federation met the government authorities last year to review the blueprint for constructing such a facility in the coming years.
“Over the past few years, the stadium site in Leh, which has a cemented surface, is layered with ice for players to practise on and ice hockey championships are held there in winter. Likewise, Kargil needs to have similar proper infrastructure for players,” said Mir, a former Indian ice hockey player.
Ninety percent of players in the Indian ice hockey team, both men and women, have been from Ladakh. With the changing climate and without proper infrastructure, ice hockey could be yet another lost cause in the Himalayan region.
The lead image at the top shows fans being used to keep the temperatures down at the outdoor ice hockey rink at Khree Sultan Cho stadium in Kargil.
Dawa Dolma is a Leh-based freelance journalist. She was a Rural Media Fellow 2022 at Youth Hub, Village Square.
