Lacing Up for Change: The Rise of India’s Women Ice Warriors

In a country where few could imagine women even stepping onto an ice hockey rink, the Indian Women’s Ice Hockey Team has scripted an extraordinary chapter in sporting history — clinching a hard-fought bronze at the IIHF Asia Cup. And now, they’re gearing up for their next challenge, with the Ice Hockey League set to hit the ice this October.

Six men and an equal number of women will take to the rink, but for India’s women “ice warriors,” the story runs far deeper than a medal. It’s about grit over doubt, passion over prejudice, and a quiet rebellion that roared into global recognition.

Their journey — a blur of freezing mornings, bruised shins, and stinging societal jabs — is captured in Sound of Courage, a stirring four-minute film by Pocket FM, the world’s largest audio series platform. It’s a love letter to every woman who has been told “you can’t” and has answered, “watch me.”

For forward Diskit C Angmo, it began on the sidelines, watching her brother play. “I didn’t know girls could even play hockey,” she recalls with a smile. That spark of curiosity would go on to challenge decades of “girls don’t do this” thinking in her native Ladakh.

"People told these girls, ‘You’ll get married, you’ll go to someone else’s house" - Ali Amir

Captain Tsewang Chuskit still remembers the sting of skepticism. “Some uncles in the stands would ask, ‘Why are you playing with boys? This isn’t a girl’s game.’” The comments didn’t break her spirit — they sharpened it. “It became more important to prove the world wrong than to prove myself right,” adds Diskit, nodding in agreement.

The resistance extended beyond the rink. Assistant coach Ali Amir recalls, “People told these girls, ‘You’ll get married, you’ll go to someone else’s house. What will you do with sport?’” Today, those same young women skate with medals around their necks and India’s pride in their hands.

Even when mocked — “They go abroad just for fun” or “They’re happy with fourth place” — the team pushed harder. Padma Chorol’s voice is calm but resolute: “We weren’t satisfied with fourth. We gave it everything.”

Rigzin Yangdol sums up their fight perfectly: “To score a goal, we weren’t just battling the opposition — we were battling the world’s expectations.”

And then there’s Rinchen Dolma, whose comeback just five months after giving birth is the stuff of sporting legend. Critics told her, “You’re a mother now, go home.” Instead, she laced up, skated out, and scored. Her goal wasn’t just a number on the scoreboard — it was a declaration: motherhood doesn’t end dreams.

This is more than sport. It’s a movement. The Indian Women’s Ice Hockey Team didn’t just win bronze — they shattered centuries-old stereotypes, proving that courage, when it speaks, is the loudest sound of all.

Published on: Wednesday, August 13, 2025, 06:37 PM IST