Take the ice

While Ladakh is one of the most popular tourist attractions among adventure lovers in India, the harsh winter days with below -30 degree Celsius temperatures find the people of this cold desert land taking part in ice hockey. Brought to the remote Himalayan towns and villages by army veterans and soldiers home on holiday, the sport has been a part of Ladakh's fabric since the '70s.

Hand-me-down skates, DIY hockey sticks and pads used to consist the players' equipment until recently, they grabbed international attention by making it into the Guinness Book of World Record for ice hockey played at the highest altitude – first in Leh then at Chibra Kargyam in 2018 in the Changthang region at 14,040 feet above mean sea level. With newly-donated equipment from Canada and recognition from their Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself during his February visit to India, the scene has received a much-needed shot in the arm.

Freelance photographer Indrajeet Rajkhowa stumbled upon this scene while playing voluntourist at a local NGO in 2016. What was meant to be a two-week trip turned into a 45-day visit, followed by a project that spanned two winters and two photo series – Hockey in the Himalayas in 2016 and Hockey in the Himalayas: Up Close and Personal in the 2017-18 winter. "Farming being the mainstay for the women in Ladakh, they spend their time playing ice hockey in the winters," explains the photographer.

While the men have been a part of international tornaments since 2007, the women made their first international foray with the Asia Cup only in 2016. In 2017, they beat Malaysia and Philippines at the tournament despite just a two-month window for practice.

"There's no indoor training facility, and very little equipment donated over the years," laments Rajkhowa, now considered a friend by the ice hockey mavericks.

Diskit Angmo, one of the members of the women's India team, tells Rajkhowa about how her father encouraged her to play the sport. "Any achievement I have made through hockey today will always be attributed to my dad."

Angmo, whose father passed away three years ago, is now one of the biggest advocates for women in the sport. Rajkhowa also recalls Ali Amir's success tale of finally bringing home silver at the IIHF Men's Challenge Cup of Asia in 2017, after over two decades on the ice. The 37-year-old said, "Every member of my team has made sacrifices along this journey. But that silver proved that all our struggles are worth it."

Things are also looking up for the women's team. Five-time ice hockey Olympian, Hayley Wickenheiser, who donated the teams' brand new equipment, will take the women's team to Canada for professional training.
Still, the players hope that help will come from closer home. If two months of practice leads to the teams placing second and fourth on international platforms, proper equipment and a rink may well lead to an Olympics miracle.