Frozen lakes pave way for ice hockey, skating in Leh

Leh (Ladakh) [India], December 20   The sub-zero temperature in Ladakh has frozen water bodies creating ice fields suitable for ice hockey and skating for young athletes.
The frozen lakes pave the way for people, especially young athletes, to undertake activities like ice skating and play ice hockey. National player Rinchen Dolma said that while they all are happy to get back to practising ice hockey, they are being cautious and maintaining social distancing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We have come here to practise. We wait for these two months every year and it is an advantage that we get to practice on this natural ice. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we are practising while maintaining social distancing. But we are happy that the winter season has arrived and we can now practise,” Dolma told ANI.
Meanwhile, a young girl, Stanzin Tsekar said: “The benefit of the winter season is that we get to play ice hockey. In this weather, the water freezes and we get to play on it.”
Ice hockey has become a major sport in Ladakh in the last decade and is enjoyed by people from all over the Union Territory.