Sikkim Plans Ice Hockey in Gnathang Valley

Sikkim is planning to introduce ice hockey as a new winter sport in the state. To support this plan, preparations are underway to build a natural ice rink in Gnathang Valley, located in East Sikkim. Officials say the ice rink is expected to be ready and usable by next winter.

The project is being taken forward by the Gangtok District Collector, Tushar G. Nikhare, and the president of the Sikkim Mountaineering Association (SMA), Kunzang Gyatso Bhutia. They are working closely with the Department of Sports of the Sikkim government and the Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI).

The main aim of the project is to develop Gnathang Valley into a winter sports hub. The plan focuses on encouraging young people to take up winter sports while also boosting winter tourism in the region. Through this initiative, Sikkim hopes to place itself alongside well-known winter sports destinations such as Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.

As part of the preparations, a team from the Ice Hockey Association of India visited Gnathang Valley in the last week of November 2025. The team included IHAI General Secretary Harjinder Singh, an Indian coach, and Gulam Mustafa, a national player and coach from Ladakh. The visit was conducted to study the area and assess its suitability for ice hockey and related infrastructure.

Officials believe that introducing ice hockey will open new opportunities for sports development and tourism, helping Sikkim make better use of its cold-weather regions.