India national ice hockey team

The Indian national ice hockey team () is the national men's ice hockey team of India. They are controlled by the Ice Hockey Association of India and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). India is currently not ranked in the IIHF World Ranking and have not entered in any World Championships tournaments or at any Olympic Games, but have played in the Challenge Cup of Asia, a regional tournament for lower-tier hockey nations in Asia.
Ice hockey in India has surprisingly deep roots. Areas like Shimla, Kashmir and Ladakh have traditionally cold climates. As early as 1985, the Indian Army and local youth started playing the game to occupy themselves in the winter. They used improvised field hockey sticks and converted shoe polish tins to act as pucks.
Today, the sport has come a long way since then. It is played at the national level in Ladakh, Shimla and Kashmir. Even though there are no artificial rinks available in the country, the game flourishes at these locations during the winters.
The northern states of India have six teams that play at the national level and in addition they conduct very active Learn to Play programs for the children and women.
Many ex-pats from the Canadian and Russian consulates in Mumbai and Delhi have been playing the game in Ladakh.
Background of Ice Hockey in Ladakh
 
The history of Ice hockey dates back to the early 70’s when the Ladakh Scouts, battalion of the Indian army who are posted in the high border regions took up the game. The high Changthang Plateau with its frozen streams and high altitude lakes formed an ideal place to play ice hockey and since then spread amongst the army and continued to be played by them. The game however gained popularity when they began exhibition matches in Leh in the winter. Since there is nothing to do in the harsh winter and the locals began to play in the small irrigation pond in Karzoo, Leh.
Ice Hockey gear was not and is still not available to buy in Ladakh. The few people who have contacts outside Ladakh have requested friends to get ice hockey skates. The Ladakh Scouts are well equipped as they get their gear through the army. The J&K tourism also have a full set of equipment but are quite reluctant to spare any. The only place in India where anything close to ice games and equipment is available is Shimla a small hill station in the northwestern part of India where they have an ice skating rink and fancy ice skating is enjoyed by the young and old alike. 2 Chinese shoemaker brothers here began making ice skates and these are still used.
The local Ladakhis enjoyed this winter sport but due to lack of gear began to improvise and the first teams began by getting the ice skating blades from Shimla and nailing them to the army ammunition boots-quite a feat to balance those huge boots wearing 3-4 layers of socks inside on the blades but this is how they began. Roller skating and ordinary ground hockey sticks were used. What takes the cream is the improvisation of puck-the thick rubber heels of the army and other boots were cut to a rounded shape and used. Goal keepers were the ground hockey pads and helmets were never used and neither were elbow and knee pads by other players. Players were always scared to get hurt but undeterred they played and many had cuts/bruises and stitches on their heads but the game continued.
Adam Sherlip would serve as the first national team head coach, leading the team into the 2009 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia. Sherlip discovered hockey in India while coaching in China. As a result of "The Hockey Volunteer" initiative, Sherlip founded The Hockey Foundation, a non-profit that uses ice hockey to help improve life in the communities. The Hockey Foundation's pilot program operates in Ladakh, in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Hockey Foundation has donated over 4,000 pieces equipment since 2009. Sherlip and The Hockey Foundation are the subject of the documentary "Disputed Ice," which is currently in development.
==Tournament record==
===Challenge Cup of Asia===
Year	Host 	Result 	 	 	 	 	
2008	 	Did not participate	Did not participate	Did not participate	Did not participate	Did not participate	Did not participate
2009	Abu Dhabi 	8th place 	5 	0 	0 	0 	5
2010	Taipei City 	Did not participate	Did not participate	Did not participate	Did not participate	Did not participate	Did not participate
2011	Kuwait City 	6th place 	5 	0 	0 	0 	5
2012	Dehradun 	6th place 	5 	1 	0 	0 	4
2013	Bangkok 	10th place 	4 	0 	0 	0 	4
2014	Bishkek 	10th place 	5 	0 	0 	0 	5
2015	Kuwait City 	11th place 	5 	0 	0 	0 	5
2016	Bishkek 	10th place 	4 	0 	0 	0 	4
2017	Kuwait City 	7th place 	3 	2 	0 	0 	1
2018	Kuala Lumpur	9th place 	5 	1 	0 	0 	4
==Current squad==
Squad for the 2017 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia – Division I.
# 	Name	 	 	Height	Weight	Date of birth	Club
 	 	G	L	 	 	 	Unattached
 	 	F	L	 	 	 	Unattached
 	 	D	L	 	 	 	Unattached
 	 	D	R	 	 	 	Unattached
13	 	F	R	 	 	 	Unattached
21	 	D	R	 	 	 	Unattached
27	 	F	L	 	 	 	Unattached
29	 	D	R	 	 	 	Unattached
30	 	F	R	 	 	 	Unattached
32	 	G	L	 	 	 	Unattached
38	 	F	R	 	 	 	Unattached
41	 	F	R	 	 	 	Unattached
44	 	D	R	 	 	 	Unattached
45	 	F	R	 	 	 	Unattached
49	 	F	R	 	 	 	Unattached
57	 	F	R	 	 	 	Unattached
61	 	D	R	 	 	 	Unattached
72	 	F	R	 	 	 	Unattached
87	 	D	R	 	 	 	Unattached
99	 	F	R	 	 	 	Unattached
==All-time record against other nations==
Last match update: 29 March 2018
Team 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	2 	0	0	2 	0 	36
 	2 	0	0	2 	3 	8
 	4 	0	0	4 	11	70
 	4 	0	0	4 	6 	44
 	10	3	0	7 	27	47
 	6 	0	0	6 	15	78
 	2 	0	0	2 	0 	30
 	2 	1	0	1 	8 	8
 	1 	0	0	1 	2 	5
 	5 	0	0	5 	9 	42
 	2 	0	0	2 	0 	43
 	1 	0	0	1 	0 	10
Total	41	4	0	37	81	429
==References==
==External links==
*Ice Hockey Association of India
*IIHF profile
*National Teams of Ice Hockey
Category:National teams