- The Indian Women's Ice Hockey Team won a bronze medal during the 2025 IIHF Women's Asia Cup in Al Ain, UA
- This is a historic milestone in accomplishment, for a sport which is never ever linked to Indian women
- The victory demonstrates courage and determination, and shattered stereotypes within traditionally masculine sport
In a sport that few believed Indian women would ever be able to master, the Indian Women's Ice Hockey Team has shattered records and history by having their name inscribed on an exquisite Bronze medal at the 2025 IIHF Women's Asia Cup in Al Ain, UAE. Their tale characterized by hardship, social bias, and unwavering determination—has become the driving force for athletes nationwide.
For others, such as Diskit C Angmo, the love started in the stands, watching her brother play on the ice. "I didn't know girls could even play hockey," she remembers. That spark set a fire, and young women from Ladakh broke taboos.
Team captain Tsewang Chuskit recalls being taunted for playing a "boy's sport." "Some of the uncles would say, 'Why are you playing with the boys? It is not a girl's game.' Rather than dashing her spirit, it only strengthened it. "It became more important to prove the world wrong rather than prove myself right," resonated Diskit.
The resistance was widespread. Assistant Coach Ali Amir remembers people telling them, "You're a girl, what will you play? You'll get married and go to someone else's house." Yet, those very girls went on to stand tall on the international stage, making India proud.
Taunted with such comments as "They go overseas just for fun" and "They're contented with 4th place," the team doubled its efforts. Padma Chorol explained, "We weren't contented with fourth. We gave it our all."
As Rigzin Yangdol said, "In order to score a goal, we weren't playing only against the other team—we were playing against the world. Among the most motivating was Rinchen Dolma, who came back to the rink a mere five months after childbirth. Amidst jeers such as "You're a mother now, go home," she scored a goal and said, "I'll come here with my baby and show you what scoring really means".
For assistant coach Ali Amir, the win meant a great deal personally: "When we heard the national anthem and the flag rose, I felt so proud, like never before. What I couldn't do as a player, I did as a coach, because of these fantastic women."
In spite of all the hassle, the team remained committed to their objective. Sonam Angmo articulated: "We're playing for the country."
