Indian Women's Ice Hockey Team Clinches Historic Bronze at 2025 IIHF Asia Cup

Image Credit: Ice Hockey Association of India

India's Women's Ice Hockey team bagged its first-ever bronze medal at the recently concluded 2025 IIHF Women's Asia & Oceania Championship hosted in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. This historic victory is a leap in ice hockey in India, a sport which is still in its infancy in the country.

The Indian squad defeated host country UAE in a thrilling match, 5-4 in overtime. The win was not only impressive in terms of the score but in the achievement of overcoming being underdogs against veteran teams. The Indian squad demonstrated skill, will power, and cooperation throughout the tournament to earn the podium spot.

Led by captain Rinchen Dolma, who recently returned to competitive competition after recently giving birth, the team's victory is symptomatic of Indian women's increasing power and potential in ice hockey. Players come from such states as Ladakh, where cold weather conditions naturally provide a practice field, and were encouraged by the Indian Army and other government sports bodies.

This medal victory is not just an athletic achievement, it is an inspirational achievement which inspires young women sportswomen from all over India to dream big, even for less recognized sports. The team has now turned into trailblazers who are creating directions to make ice hockey popular and grow at the grassroots in inaccessible regions of the country.

The bronze medal of the 2025 IIHF Women's Asia Cup is an indicator that women's ice hockey in India is making waves, and great things are to follow on the global platform.