New Delhi, Nov 19 (IANS) The third edition of the ice hockey season 2025-26, featuring developmental competitions including the Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League (REIHL) in Ladakh and the Spiti Cup, will be conducted in Himachal Pradesh. Building on the success of the previous editions, the 2025–26 season begins with a strong focus on training and community capacity building.

The season will kick off in November with holistic coach and referee training programs in Dehradun and Leh, which will be led by IIHF-certified instructors – coach Darryl Eason and officiating instructor Peter Gebei. The camps will equip local coaches and officials with advanced skills to lead Learn to Play (LTP) programs, scout and train young talents, and build community-based teams that will go on to compete in the upcoming developmental competitions.

The training programs include Basic & Intermediate Coach Training Camps (Dehradun), which will empower local coaches to conduct Learn to Play (LTP) camps and refine their technical expertise, scout emerging talent to form competitive teams for the developmental leagues.

Referee Training program in Delhi will bring together officials from the Army, ITBP, and regional associations, with a strong emphasis on women’s participation in officiating roles.

Learn to Play (LTP) and Basic Skating Programmes, which will introduce Ice Hockey to over 1000 children across Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Pond Hockey Programme (Leh), which includes a new community initiative that will pilot a 5-day training programme for 80 kids, followed by a non-contact 3v3 tournament at Gupuk pond near Leh, serving as a fun and inclusive entry point for young enthusiasts and first-time skaters to experience the sport.

Bidisha Dey, Executive Director, Eicher Group Foundation, the CSR arm of Royal Enfield, said, “Ice hockey continues to be a powerful expression of community resilience across the Himalayas. With season 3, we are moving from participation to progression, strengthening the grassroots ecosystem through structured coach and referee training, and extending our reach across Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. This season is about deepening our impact, enabling local coaches and youth leaders to build, train, and sustain their own communities of play. That, for us, is the real victory, when the movement belongs entirely to the people who live it.”

The season culminates in January 2026 with two of India’s highest-altitude tournaments – Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League (REIHL) in Leh, and the Spiti Cup in Kaza -featuring over 30 teams and nearly 700 players from across Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. Additionally, for the first time, a new team from Kharu, Ladakh, will join REIHL, and a team from the Lahaul region in Himachal Pradesh will join the Spiti Cup.

Over December and early January, the trained coaches will actively lead player scouting and regional training camps, preparing their teams for the leagues. Coach Darryl Eason will also be in Leh for two weeks during this phase to mentor and support coaches on the ground, ensuring the knowledge from these workshops translates into quality player development.

Training is the focal point of Royal Enfield Social Mission’s efforts to nurture a natural progression of grassroots development that will create a pathway for the next-generation athletes while strengthening the social fabric of Himalayan communities.

The 2025 edition of the Ice Hockey League and the Spiti Cup saw 30 teams across men’s and women’s divisions from regions including Leh, Nubra, Kargil, Zanskar, Changthang, Losar, Lalung, Keylong, Pin, and Spiti. Over 10,000 fans attended matches throughout the season, turning frozen rinks into vibrant celebrations of local pride. Kang Sings and Maryul Spamo successfully defended their REIHL title, while Sham Zone and Centre Zone claimed top honours in Spiti – a testament to the growing interest in Ice Hockey in the region.

–IANS

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