National Ice Hockey Championship 2024 starts at Kaza

National Ice Hockey Championship 2024 for men and women is being organized from 19 January to 24 January under the joint aegis of Ice Hockey Association of India, Ice Hockey of Lahaul Spiti and Spiti Administration. SDM Harsh Amarendra Negi said that this championship will be inaugurated by Himachal Pradesh Government Revenue, Horticulture and Tribal Development Minister Jagat Singh Negi on January 19, 2024 at 11 am at Ice Hockey Rink Kaza. Along with this, Rajat Malhotra, General Secretary of Ice Hockey Association of Himachal Pradesh will also be specially present.
A total of 11 teams will participate in this championship. Which includes six teams in the men’s category and five teams in the women’s category. Teams from Army team, ITBP, UT Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra are participating in the 11th National Ice Hockey Championship 2024 in the men’s category. Whereas in the women’s category, teams from Himachal Pradesh, ITBP, UT Ladakh, Telangana and Rajasthan are participating in the 13th National Ice Hockey Championship 2024.
SDM Harsh Amarendra Singh Negi said that winter sports are being promoted in Spiti. Earlier, winter games used to be held only in Ladakh. But now infrastructure is slowly being prepared in Spiti. The ice hockey rink here has been prepared as per international standards. This time, one month basic camps are being organized by preparing ice hockey rinks in Lalugan, Rangrik, Saganam, Losar and Sichling, in which the number of children registered in each camp is more than 100. After basic camp, children will be selected for advanced camp. Now 90 percent of Spiti players are being selected in the women’s and men’s teams of Himachal Pradesh. Not only this, two girls hailing from Spiti have also represented India in the international tournament last year. I am happy to inform that the Under 18 Boys Team of Himachal Pradesh Ice Hockey has created history by winning the silver medal in the championship organized in Ladakh. 99 percent of the players in this team are residents of Spiti. Earlier in the year 2022, Himachal Pradesh women’s team had won the bronze medal in the year 2022-23 while the men’s team had also won the bronze medal.

On January 19, the first match will be played between ITB and Himachal Pradesh team in the men’s category. The second match will be played between Army and Maharashtra. Whereas in the women’s category, the first match will be played between ITBP and Rajasthan, the second match will be played between UT Ladakh and Telangana.
On January 20, in the men’s category, the first match will be played between UT Ladakh and Maharashtra and the second match will be played between Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. Whereas in the women’s category, the first match will be played between ITBP and Himachal Pradesh and the second match will be played between Telangana and Rajasthan.
On January 21, the first match in the men’s category will be between Army and UT Ladakh, and the second match will be between ITBP and Rajasthan. In the women’s category, the second match will be played between UT Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh and the second match will be played between ITBP and Telangana. There will be matches for medals in two categories on 22nd and 23rd January.