A delegation from the Ice Hockey Federation of India, led by former Member of Parliament from Ladakh and Federation President Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, met with Lieutenant Governor Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) at the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat on November 30.

The meeting was attended by Advisor to the LG, Dr. Pawan Kotwal; Commissioner/Secretary to the LG, Dr. L Franklin; and OSD to Secretary, YSS, Vikram Singh Malik.

During the meeting, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal highlighted issues faced by Ladakhi ice hockey players due to the non-recognition of the Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) by the Sports Ministry. He detailed malpractices by IHAI and the challenges young players face in securing posts under the sports quota. Namgyal also informed the LG of efforts by the Ice Hockey Federation of India to unite states from the Himalayan region for affiliation and recognition from the Sports Ministry.

He urged the Lieutenant Governor not to fund or support ice hockey events organized by IHAI in Ladakh and advocated for national-level events to be held under the aegis of the Ice Hockey Federation of India to benefit local youth.

Jamyang Tsering Namgyal also requested the declaration of Bhoti as the official state language of Ladakh.

The Lieutenant Governor assured that the UT Administration prioritizes the future of Ladakhi youth and would not support any sports body that jeopardizes their careers. He also emphasized ongoing efforts to recognize official state languages, including Urdu and Bhoti.