SRINAGAR: Ladakh’s first international-level artificial ice hockey rink was inaugurated at NDS Stadium in Leh on Thursday, providing players with a year-round training facility at a cost of around Rs 42 crore.
Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena inaugurated the facility, which has a 24×7 chilling system designed to allow ice hockey players to train throughout the year, regardless of natural weather conditions.
The facility addresses the limited natural ice season in Ladakh, where players previously had only around two to three months each year to train and compete on natural ice. The short season also restricted the time available for organising tournaments and preparing athletes for competitions.
The new rink is expected to provide players with more consistent training and preparation for national and international-level events.
Saxena described the project as a major investment in Ladakh’s young sportspersons and said it could help strengthen the Union Territory’s position as a winter sports destination.
“This 24×7 chilling facility will ensure that our young players no longer have to wait for winter to practise,” the Lieutenant Governor said, adding that year-round training would provide the continuity needed to compete at higher levels.
He said the facility would also support the identification and development of new ice hockey talent from Leh and other parts of Ladakh.
According to the Lieutenant Governor, the rink could also create opportunities for sports tourism and contribute to the local economy.
Saxena said the project was in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of expanding quality sports infrastructure and helping India emerge as a global sporting power, including through facilities in remote and border regions such as Ladakh.
