View source for India men's national ice hockey team

{{Short description|National team representing India in ice hockey}}
{{About|the men's team|the women's team|India women's national ice hockey team}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox national hockey team
| Name               = India
| Badge              = Ice Hockey Association of India logo.png
| Badge_size         = 250px
| caption            =
| Nickname           = 
| Association        = [[Ice Hockey Association of India]]
| General Manager    = Samarth Sharma<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iihf.com/en/associations/351/india|title=INDIA |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref>
| Coach              = Abdul Hakim
| Asst Coach         = Alexandre Touzel
| Captain            = Tsewang Gyaltson
| Most games         = Stanzin Namgyal (34)
| Top scorer         = Rigzin Norboo (10)
| Most points        = Rigzin Norboo (14)<ref name="NATIONALTEAMS">{{cite web | url=https://nationalteamsoficehockey.com/india/ |title=India | publisher=National Teams of Ice Hockey | access-date=2022-01-18 }}</ref>
| Home Stadium       = 
| IIHF code          = IND
| IIHF Rank          = {{IIHF World Ranking|IND}}
| IIHF max           = 
| IIHF max date      = 
| IIHF min           = 
| IIHF min date      = 
| Team_Colors        = {{color box|#00008B|border=darkgray}} {{color box|#FF8C00|border=darkgray}} {{color box|white|border=darkgray}} {{color box|#138808|border=darkgray}}
| Jerseys            = 
| First game         = {{ih|THA}} 14–0 {{ih-rt|IND}}<br>{{small|([[Abu Dhabi]], UAE; 15 March 2009)}}
| Largest win        = {{ih|IND}} 5–1 {{ih-rt|MAC}}<br>{{small|([[Dehradun]], India; 21 March 2012)}}<br>{{ih|IND}} 7–3 {{ih-rt|MAC}}<br>{{small|([[Kuwait City]], Kuwait; 25 April 2017)}}
| Largest loss       = {{ih|KUW}} 39–2 {{ih-rt|IND}}<br>{{small|(Kuwait City, Kuwait; 26 April 2011)}}
| World champ apps   = 
| World champ first  = 
| World champ best   = 
| Regional name      = [[IIHF Asia and Oceania Championship|IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia]]
| Regional cup first = [[2009 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2009]]
| Regional cup apps  = 9
| Regional cup best  = 6th ([[2011 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2011]], [[2012 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2012]])
| Olympic apps       = 
| Olympic first      = 
| Olympic medals     = 
| Record             = 4–37–0
}}
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|medals=
{{MedalCompetition|[[IIHF Asia and Oceania Championship]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2017 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia – Division I|2017 Kuwait City]]|Division I}}
}}

The '''India national ice hockey team''' is the national men's [[ice hockey]] team of [[India]]. They are controlled by the [[Ice Hockey Association of India]] and a member of the [[International Ice Hockey Federation]] (IIHF). India is currently not ranked in the [[IIHF World Ranking]] and has not entered in any [[Ice Hockey World Championships|World Championship]] tournaments or at the [[Ice hockey at the Olympic Games|Olympic Games]], but they have only participated in the [[IIHF Asia and Oceania Championship|Challenge Cup of Asia]], a regional tournament for lower-tier hockey nations in [[Asia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nationalteamsoficehockey.com/india/|title=Ice Hockey in India|access-date=18 February 2023}}</ref>

==History==
===Background of ice hockey in Ladakh===
{{Anchor|Ladakh}}
The history of [[ice hockey in India]] dates back almost 100 years, when ice hockey was a favourite pastime for the [[British Raj]] in [[Shimla]]. The Shimla Ice Skating Club is still very active in promoting ice sports in India. In the early 1970s, the [[Ladakh Scouts]], a battalion of the [[Indian Army]] posted in the high border regions, took up the game. The high [[Changtang|Changthang Plateau]]'s frozen streams and high altitude lakes make the region an ideal place to play ice hockey, and as a result, the game spread amongst the army. The game gained more widespread popularity exhibition matches began taking place in [[Leh]] in the winter. With little to do during the region's harsh winters, locals began to play on a small irrigation pond in Karzoo, Leh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/101east/2016/03/thin-ice-india-national-ice-hockey-team-160302074917460.html|title=On Thin Ice: India's National Ice Hockey Team|website=Aljazeera.com|access-date=2016-10-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=All eyes on Ice Hockey Team|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/backpage/all-eyes-on-ice-hockey-team/articleshow/4265266.cms|access-date=2016-10-17|newspaper=The Economic Times|last1=Tiwari|first1=Mansi}}</ref>

Ice hockey gear was not and is still not available to buy in [[Ladakh]]. The few locals who have contacts outside Ladakh have requested friends to get ice hockey skates. The Ladakh Scouts are well equipped as they get their gear through the army. The [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu & Kashmir]] department of tourism also had a full set of equipment, but was reluctant to spare any.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/feb/21/himalayan-ice-hockey-ladakh-india|title=Playing ice hockey in the Indian Himalayas|first=Jakob|last=Horstmann|date=21 February 2013|work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/breaking-the-ice-story-of-indias-ice-hockey-team-is-stuff-movies-are-made-of/|title=Breaking the ice: Story of India's ice hockey team is stuff movies are made of|date=19 April 2015|website=Indianexpress.com|access-date=2016-10-17}}</ref> The only place in India where ice sports equipment is readily available is Shimla, a small hill station in the northwestern part of India, where two [[China|Chinese]] brothers began making skates that are still used today.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-12-24|title=Ladakh hosts World's highest altitude women's ice hockey tournament|url=https://thebridge.in/ice-hockey/ladakh-hosts-worlds-highest-altitude-womens-ice-hockey-tournament/|access-date=2020-12-13|website=The Bridge|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Due to the lack of accessible equipment, Ladakhis began to improvise, with the first teams obtaining ice skating blades from Shimla and nailing them to army [[ammunition boot]]s. Roller skates and ground hockey sticks were also used. To create pucks, locals cut the thick, rubber heels of army boots into a rounded shape. Goalkeepers wore ground hockey pads but lacked helmets; neither helmets nor knee and elbow pads were used by other players. Despite injuries, due to this lack of protective gear, the game has continued to grow in popularity in the region.<ref>{{cite news|title=India ice hockey: National team crowd-funding bid successful|date=17 April 2015|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-32346496|access-date=2016-10-17|publisher=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Director Ice Hockey Association of India Akshay Kumar &#124; DNA|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/locality/news-tags/director-ice-hockey-association-india-akshay-kumar|access-date=2016-10-17|website=Dnaindia.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2015-04-21|title=Breaking the ice: Story of India's ice hockey team is stuff movies are made of|newspaper=[[The Indian Express]]|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/breaking-the-ice-story-of-indias-ice-hockey-team-is-stuff-movies-are-made-of/|access-date=2016-10-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Akshay Kumar donates Rs 2cr for ice hockey &#124; Bollywood.com News|url=http://www.bollywood.com/akshay-kumar-donates-rs-2cr-ice-hockey|access-date=2016-10-17|website=Bollywood.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Schwartz: Ex-Islanders Employee Helps Grow Hockey In India|url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/01/28/schwartz-hockey-foundation-india/|access-date=2016-10-17|website=Newyork.cbslocal.com|date=28 January 2016}}</ref>

===National team===
India made its international debut in [[2009 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2009]] at the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia in [[Abu Dhabi]], United Arab Emirates, finishing eighth and thus last. In their first game, they were shutout by [[Thailand men's national ice hockey team|Thailand]] 14–0. After two more losses, a 10–0 loss to [[Mongolia men's national ice hockey team|Mongolia]] and a 10–1 loss to [[Malaysia men's national ice hockey team|Malaysia]], India, bottom of their group with a goal difference of minus 33, in which they again lost both games. First, they lost to [[Singapore men's national ice hockey team|Singapore]] 5–0, and finally lost to [[Macau men's national ice hockey team|Macau]] 8–0 in the seventh place game. Two years later, they suffered their biggest international defeat to date at 2–39 against [[Kuwait men's national ice hockey team|Kuwait]] at the [[2011 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia]]. On 21 March 2012, the national team notched its first international victory at the [[2012 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia]], they defeated Macau 5–1. India has participated in the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia from 2009 to 2018, with the exception of 2010. From 2014 to 2018, they played in Division I of the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia. In [[2017 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia – Division I|2017]], India finished second of four teams in Division I tournament (seventh overall). First, they narrowly defeated [[Oman men's national ice hockey team|Oman]] 3–2, then lost to Kuwait 8–5, and finally won 7–3 over Macau. India has not been active, nor played an official game against other national team, since 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalteamsoficehockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/India-Men-All-Time-Results.pdf|title=India Men All Time Results|access-date=11 December 2017|publisher=National Teams of Ice Hockey|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803194702/https://www.nationalteamsoficehockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/India-Men-All-Time-Results.pdf|archive-date=3 August 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Tournament record==
===Challenge Cup of Asia===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!width=30|Year
!width=150|Host
!width=120|Result
!width=30|{{tooltip|Pld|Games played}}
!width=30|{{tooltip|W|Wins}}
!width=30|{{tooltip|OTW|Overtime wins}}
!width=30|{{tooltip|OTL|Overtime losses}}
!width=30|{{tooltip|L|Losses}}
|-
| [[2008 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2008]] || {{flag|Hong Kong}} || colspan=6|''did not participate''
|-
| [[2009 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2009]] || {{flagicon|UAE}} [[Abu Dhabi]] || 8th place || 5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 5
|-
| [[2010 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2010]] || {{flagicon|TPE}} [[Taipei|Taipei City]] || colspan=6|''did not participate''
|-
| [[2011 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2011]] || {{flagicon|KUW}} [[Kuwait City]] || 6th place || 5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 5
|-
| [[2012 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2012]] || style="border:3px solid red;"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Dehradun]] || 6th place || 5 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 4
|-
| [[2013 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2013]] || {{flagicon|THA}} [[Bangkok]] || 10th place || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 4
|-
| [[2014 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2014]] || {{flagicon|KGZ}} [[Bishkek]] || 10th place<br>{{small|(4th in [[2014 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia – Division I|Division I]])}} || 5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 5
|-
| [[2015 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2015]] || {{flagicon|KUW}} [[Kuwait City]] || 11th place<br>{{small|(6th in [[2015 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia – Division I|Division I]])}} || 5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 5
|-
| [[2016 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2016]] || {{flagicon|KGZ}} [[Bishkek]] || 10th place<br>{{small|(5th in [[2016 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia – Division I|Division I]])}} || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 4
|-
| [[2017 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2017]] || {{flagicon|KUW}} [[Kuwait City]] || 7th place<br>{{small|(2nd in [[2017 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia – Division I|Division I]])}} || 3 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 1
|-
| [[2018 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2018]] || rowspan=2|{{flagicon|MAS}} [[Kuala Lumpur]] || 9th place<br>{{small|(4th in [[2018 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia – Division I|Division I]])}} || 5 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 4
|-
| [[2019 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia|2019]] || colspan=6|''did not participate''
|-
! colspan=2|Total !! 9/12 !! 41 !! 4 !! 0 !! 0 !! 37
|}

==All-time record against other national teams==
<small>''Last match update: 29 March 2018''</small><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalteamsoficehockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/India-Men-All-Time-Results.pdf|title=India Men All Time Results|access-date=11 December 2017|publisher=National Teams of Ice Hockey|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803194702/https://www.nationalteamsoficehockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/India-Men-All-Time-Results.pdf|archive-date=3 August 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%"
|+ Key
|- 
| style="background:#ccffcc;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; || '''Positive balance''' <small>(more Wins)</small>
|- 
| style="background:#ffffcc;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; || '''Neutral balance''' <small>(Wins = Losses)</small>
|- 
| style="background:#ffcccc;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; || '''Negative balance''' <small>(more Losses)</small>
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center"
|-
! width=192|Team
! width=40|{{tooltip|GP|Games played}}
! width=40|{{tooltip|W|Wins}}
! width=40|{{tooltip|T|Ties}}
! width=40|{{tooltip|L|Losses}}
! width=40|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
! width=40|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
|- style="background:#ffcccc;"
| align=left|{{ih|HKG}} || 2 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 36
|- style="background:#ffcccc;"
| align=left|{{ih|INA}} || 2 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 3 || 8
|- style="background:#ffcccc;"
| align=left|{{ih|KUW}} || 4 || 0 || 0 || 4 || 11 || 70
|- style="background:#ffcccc;"
| align=left|{{ih|KGZ}} || 4 || 0 || 0 || 4 || 6 || 44
|- style="background:#ffcccc;"
| align=left|{{ih|MAC}} || 10 || 3 || 0 || 7 || 27 || 47
|- style="background:#ffcccc;"
| align=left|{{ih|MAS}} || 6 || 0 || 0 || 6 || 15 || 78
|- style="background:#ffcccc;"
| align=left|{{ih|MGL}} || 2 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 30
|- style="background:#ffffcc;"
| align=left|{{ih|OMA}} || 2 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 8 || 8
|- style="background:#ffcccc;"
| align=left|{{ih|QAT}} || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 2 || 5
|- style="background:#ffcccc;"
| align=left|{{ih|SGP}} || 5 || 0 || 0 || 5 || 9 || 42
|- style="background:#ffcccc;"
| align=left|{{ih|THA}} || 2 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 43
|- style="background:#ffcccc;"
| align=left|{{ih|UAE}} || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 10
|-
! Total !! 41 !! 4 !! 0 !! 37 !! 81 !! 429
|}

==See also==
* [[India men's national junior ice hockey team]]
* [[India men's national under-18 ice hockey team]]
* [[Indian Ice Hockey Championship]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20141217125932/http://icehockeyindia.com/ Ice Hockey Association of India]
*[https://www.iihf.com/en/associations/351/india IIHF profile]

{{National sports teams of India}}
{{Men's national ice hockey teams}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:India National Ice Hockey Team}}
[[Category:Ice hockey in India|National]]
[[Category:National ice hockey teams in Asia]]
[[Category:National sports teams of India|Ice hockey]]
[[Category:Men's national ice hockey teams]]