The Jammu and Kashmir Ice Hockey team on January 20 paid a courtesy visit to the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, at Lok Niwas, Leh. The team is currently in Leh to participate in the ongoing 6th edition of the prestigious Khelo India Winter Games being held in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

During the interaction, the Lt Governor extended a warm welcome to the players and officials and lauded their dedication, discipline, and passion for ice hockey. He said that the Khelo India Winter Games have emerged as an important national platform for nurturing winter sports talent and providing exposure to young athletes, particularly from Himalayan and cold regions.

Kavinder Gupta encouraged the players to give their best performance in the Games while upholding the spirit of sportsmanship, teamwork, and excellence. He expressed confidence that such national-level sporting events would further strengthen India’s winter sports ecosystem and inspire youth to actively engage in sports for physical fitness, discipline, and holistic development.

The Jammu and Kashmir Ice Hockey team includes Shabir Ahmad Dar (Nodal Officer), Sahil Gupta (Coach), Jasvinder Singh, Rahil Choudhary, Parth Slathia, Dhruv Gupta, Jaipreet Singh, Surya Bhaskar Sharma, Jaideep Singh, Smaksh Bhardwaj, Varun Anand, Navjot Singh, Hiteshwar Singh, Abhinav Gupta, Krish Upal, Ghulam Nabi Tak, Maroof Gulzar, and Salim Ahmad.

The players expressed gratitude to the Lt Governor for his encouragement and support, stating that the interaction significantly boosted their morale ahead of their competitions in the Khelo India Winter Games.