Chandigarh: Chandigarh’s men’s and women’s ice hockey teams delivered one of their strongest performances yet at the 6th edition of the Khelo India Winter Games in Ladakh, returning home with a silver and a bronze. For men’s team captain Unnatveer Singh, the achievement marked the culmination of years of training with the squad since his sub-junior days, as well as a testament to the team’s resilience despite having very limited access to ice facilities.Ice Hockey Association of India general secretary Harjinder Singh said the sport has been steadily expanding its footprint across the country. He traced its origins to the Shimla Ice Skating Club nearly a century ago, from where it gradually spread to regions such as Ladakh. To build talent at the grassroots, he said the association recently launched a pilot Under-14 league. “The league began on Dec 22, 2025, and the second phase will start on Jan 31. We are focusing on U-14 as there is strong potential,” he said.Unnatveer, 23, said Chandigarh’s progress in only its second appearance at the Winter Games showed how far the team had come. “Last year, in our debut, we finished fifth. This time, after practicing on ice for only about 10 days, we reached the finals,” he said. Chandigarh opened their campaign with a 5-2 win over Jammu but faced a heavy 10-1 defeat against Army in the league stage. They recovered quickly to register a decisive 6-1 victory over Himachal Pradesh.Their semi-final against Ladakh turned into a tense, high-stakes battle. Chandigarh led 3-1 going into the third quarter before Ladakh reduced the margin to 3-2. With just four minutes left, Chandigarh defended with only three players and their goalkeeper, holding on to secure a historic place in the final. In the title clash, Chandigarh pushed a dominant Army side to the very end, keeping the scoreline level at 2-2 until the final two minutes, before eventually losing 3-2.“We have the skill and confidence. With more practice, especially to improve our speed, we can do even better,” Unnatveer said.On the women’s side, captain Gunika Bhatti, 22, said the team’s bronze was particularly special as they had managed only one practice session in Dehradun before the tournament. She said their toughest contest was against Himachal Pradesh, where the match remained tied throughout before Chandigarh scored in extra time to seal the bronze.The coaching team of Gaurav Raheja and Rohit Randhawa, supported by Chetanpreet Singh, guided both squads. Raheja said the women’s bronze proved to be a morale booster for the men ahead of their final, adding that the brief ice training in Dehradun played a crucial role in their performance.Following the teams’ return, they met the governor of Punjab and UT Chandigarh administrator, Gulab Chand Kataria, at Lok Bhavan on Thursday. He congratulated the men for their silver and the women for their bronze in their national-level debut, calling it a proud moment for the Union Territory. He praised their determination against traditional ice hockey strongholds such as Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh and lauded the Chandigarh contingent of 20 boys, 18 girls, two coaches and supporting officials.Defenses hold under pressure Men’s captain Unnatveer Singh credits years of training and team resilience despite limited ice access Ice Hockey Association of India says sport’s roots trace back nearly a century to Shimla Ice Skating Club Association launches pilot U-14 league; Phase 2 begins Jan 31 Chandigarh men defeat Jammu 5-2, lose 10-1 to Army, beat Himachal 6-1 Enter final after 3-2 semi-final win over Ladakh, defending last four minutes with three players and goalkeeper Lose summit clash to Army 3-2 after holding them 2-2 until final two minutes Women’s team wins bronze after just one practice session in Dehradun Beat Himachal Pradesh in extra time in tight bronze-medal match Coaches Gaurav Raheja, Rohit Randhawa and Chetanpreet Singh guide both teams
