Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League Season 3 set to return to Ladakh from Jan 29

Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League Season 3 returns to Ladakh from January 29–February 14, featuring 75 round-robin matches across men’s and women’s categories. The League promotes local talent, women’s participation, community development, and professional officiating in Himalayan ice hockey

Hyderabad: Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League (REIHL) Season 3 is set to return to Ladakh from January 29 to February 14.

Organised by Royal Enfield Social Mission, in partnership with the Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh and the Ice Hockey Association of Ladakh, the upcoming season marks a significant expansion of the League with the introduction of a comprehensive round-robin format across men’s and women’s categories, with each team competing against every other team over a total of 75 games.

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This is the competitive-leg of a holistic technical developmental programme that started with the training of Ice hockey coaches in December 2025, led by international instructor, Darryl Easson. These coaches have since returned to their respective communities to scout talent, and systematically train teams for participation in the League. The League thus serves as a bridge between community-based training and organised, high-quality competition.

Bidisha Dey, Executive Director, Eicher Group Foundation, said, “The Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League is rooted in community development. Our focus has been to strengthen local livelihoods, empower youth and women, and create a clear pathway for future talent from the Himalayas.”

Held in Leh, the tournament continues to serve as a vital platform for local talent, expanding the sport to new regions and offering players from remote Himalayan communities exposure to structured league formats and professionally-managed competition.

Teams participating in the 2026 edition will represent regions including Leh, Nubra, Kargil, Zanskar, Changthang, and surrounding areas, with two new teams from Kharu – Kharu Eagles (women) and Kharu Falcons (men) — joining the League.

Strengthening the sport’s ecosystem further, a dedicated referee training programme was conducted for the first time in December 2025, led by International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) officiating instructor, Peter Gebei. The initiative aims to elevate game officiating standards and ensure professional game delivery for the League and create a pool of trained referees for future competitions in the region.