Leh: The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, today inspected the under-construction international-standard indoor ice hockey rink at NDS Stadium, Leh.
During the visit, the Lt Governor lauded Ladakh’s remarkable rise as the nerve centre of ice hockey in India, pointing out that players from the region constitute a significant share of both the men’s and women’s national teams. He reiterated the UT Administration’s unwavering commitment to nurturing local talent and providing athletes with world-class facilities to compete on national and international platforms.
Kavinder Gupta noted that the Rs 51-crore project exemplifies Ladakh’s vision of emerging as a premier winter sports destination. Once completed, the rink will feature a fully automated chilling plant, modern spectator facilities, and provisions for year-round practice and competition — transforming Ladakh’s sports infrastructure and enabling athletes to train even during off-season months.
Commending the Department of Youth Services and Sports for the successful hosting two editions of the Khelo India Winter Games, the Lt Governor expressed confidence that the upcoming third edition would also take place in Ladakh. He shared that a formal proposal to this effect has already been submitted to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.
Emphasising the need for timely execution, Kavinder Gupta directed officials to accelerate construction work and prioritise the installation of the chilling system so that the venue is ready to host national-level tournaments round the year in the near future.
“The construction of this state-of-the-art facility is not just about infrastructure—it represents Ladakh’s growing ambition to lead India’s winter sports movement,” he said, adding that the Administration is determined to leverage Ladakh’s unique geography and talent pool to establish it as the country’s winter sports hub.
Also present during the inspection were the Administrative Secretary, Youth Services & Sports, Moses Kunzang; the President of the Ice Hockey Federation of India, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal; members of the Ice Hockey Federation of India and the Ice Hockey Association of Ladakh, and officials from the Department of Youth Services & Sports and the Public Works Department.
