The Sad Plight Of Our National Ice Hockey Team In A Country Full Of Cricket Lovers
“When I am on the ice I feel lighter, I feel faster. I feel like I am flying all the time, on the skates. I feel strong, it gives me more than human feeling, somewhere close to a super hero. We put on our skates and gear, and we jump onto the ice,” said national ice hockey player, Tsewang Gyaltson. “We have no idea what’s going on outside the rink, in the world, or what I am doing next or what I have done before. It’s just a bunch of players alongside me and the opposition out there.” As far back as Gyaltson can remember, he has wanted to play ice hockey and make it to the big leagues. His teammates and him work hard on their skills and train to perfect their sporting skills, but for them, it isn’t as easy as just being a good player.
In a cricket-obsessed country such as india, there is little room left for other sportsmen to shine. And while huge sums of money is showered upon cricketers, stadiums and leagues, athletes of other fields struggle to fund their own training and find good equipment. The Indian ice hockey team is just one example of the immense talent that exists in the country, but has long gone ignored and unappreciated.
“When you mention hockey in india, they think it is field hockey. When you say ‘ice hockey,’ most people are not aware that it is played here,” stated Adam Sherlip, coach of the national team, to The Indian Express. His statement comes as no surprise as though ice hockey has its legion of followers abroad, outside of the northern regions of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, few people actually know of the existence of the sport in their country, let alone a group of ambitious players striving for recognition on a national and international level.
Playing for the national ice hockey team in India pays nothing, in fact, players themselves end up paying thousands of Rupees on travelling to play in international tournaments. Their gear is mostly second-hand or donated, and through wear and tear, are slowly falling apart even more. Practicing for them is skating across frozen ponds which aren’t the required rink sizes. The only full-length ice rink in India, prior to the one recently opened in Gurugram, was in Dehradun which is a two day journey away for the players. So now, the national ice hockey team ends up practicing and training in a Gurugram mall where the rink doesn’t even meet the international standard. “It’s not an ideal scenario. But we aren’t complaining,” stated Akshay Kumar, Director, Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) to The Indian Express.
Gyaltson’s father was a decorated police office, after his passing, it fell upon Gyaltson, as the eldest in the family, to take on the household responsibilities. For someone in his position, making a choice between pursuing their dream to play ice hockey, or getting a job purely for the sake of financial safety is a tough one--a choice that many sportsmen in the country unfortunately have had to make when they get no support from the nation’s sports council or government.
“Ice hockey in Ladakh is unique to the world. It’s among the highest altitude hockey games you could possibly play. You have no air, you are suffocating while exerting,” stated Sherlip to Al Jazeera. At an altitude of 3500 meters and temperatures falling to -20°C, winter in Ladakh can be pretty brutal, but for this group of unknown athletes it doesn’t last long enough. Braving freezing temperatures, they skate across the frozen ponds with great passion, not for fame or fortune, but for the love of the sport and a dream to represent the country internationally. Money is always a struggle, seeking funds to even participate in tournaments the team looks for sponsors and even crowd-sources their trips. And when that’s not enough, they pitch in themselves. The conundrum is that until they win tournaments, government support isn’t likely to come, but even reaching tournaments, paying for equipment and training facilities is an expense that many of the players can’t take.
There is so much talent in our diverse country, much of which goes unnoticed until they make it big, on their own money and hard work, to gain any sort of support and recognition from the government and sports associations. As they continue to struggle to support their dreams, it’s time we look away from cricket for a short while if only to give such players their due support, recognition and appreciation.
Watch the Indian ice hockey team in action in the video posted below the 101 East documentary ‘On Thin Ice,’ a film by Karishma Vyas, courtesy of Al Jazeera. Click here to read their complete article.
Feature Image: CBC Sports
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