Diskit Chonzom Angmo is a woman on a mission. At just 27, she’s not only an ice hockey player on the India women’s national ice hockey team but is also its spokesperson. Over the past week, social media has been buzzing with photos of Angmo and her teammates proudly sporting their blue jerseys, emblazoned with the Indian tricolour. This uniform carried them to a historic bronze medal win at the 2025 IIHF Women’s Asia Cup held in Al-Ain, UAE (May 31–June 6). Every win deserves celebration, but this one is truly special for a team officially formed less than a decade ago, in 2016.
We caught up with her in Chandigarh, a day before she headed back to her hometown, Leh, Ladakh. “I’ve been flooded with messages since the win—from young boys and girls all over India. They’re congratulating us and asking how to join the sport,” says Angmo. “And these hopefuls aren’t just from the high-altitude areas but from states like Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Haryana.”
A native of the nomadic, culture-rich Changthang plateau in Ladakh, Angmo started out as a figure skater. Her late father was a key figure in promoting ice sports in the region, encouraging her involvement and helping pave the way for women in the game. Though initially hesitant to play alongside her brother, a conversation with a woman ice hockey player at the Indo-Canadian Friendship Cup in Leh piqued her interest. Around 2009, women in Ladakh began stepping onto the local rink. Today, they’re pushing for global recognition, with Angmo leading the charge—but she’s far from alone. The national team includes players from diverse backgrounds, including members of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
Ice sports in India remain niche, with limited exposure, training, and funding. In Ladakh, those challenges are heightened by the region’s fragile environment and harsh winters, which have become increasingly unpredictable due to climate change. Still, the women from this Union Territory are determined to bring women’s ice hockey into the mainstream.
“It’s a demanding contact sport that needs both physical strength and mental toughness. It’s also an art—one that our team has mastered through passion and fierce spirit,” says Angmo. She’s played alongside inspiring teammates like Rinchen Dolma, who returned to the rink just months after giving birth; current captain Tsewang Chuskit; and goalie Noor Jahan, who also runs Shesrig Ladakh, an art conservation studio in Leh. From traditional Thangka painters to skilled forwards leading the team to victory, these women juggle big wins with the everyday challenges of a growing sport.
While the bronze medal has brought welcome attention, it has also exposed key gaps—from limited media coverage to a lack of skill-building resources, and infrastructure. The reopening of the Himadri Ice Rink in Dehradun, an Olympic-sized artificial rink that helped the team train for the IIHF, is a step forward. But what’s really needed is an all-season rink and comprehensive training facilities in Ladakh, capable of preparing players for international-level competition.
Until then, the team’s passion and their newfound popularity on Instagram are keeping the momentum going, proving that with grit and spirit, this is just the beginning for Indian women’s ice hockey.
Lead image: Diskit Chonzom Angmo
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