Leh (Ladakh), Jan 26: The fancied Indian Army team had to summon all its experience to squeeze past a spirited Chandigarh 3-2 to keep their men’s ice-hockey gold medal in the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG 2026 at the NDS Stadium on Republic Day. The match-winner for Army came with just three minutes left on the clock, and the Ladakh leg of KIWG 2026 could not have asked for a better and thrilling ending.
Haryana won the team championship title of the Ladakh phase of KIWG 2026, thanks to the four gold medals won by their figure and ice-skaters. Ladakh, Maharashtra, and Telangana each won two gold medals, but were separated by the number of silver medals they won. Ladakh (5 silver medals), Maharashtra (3 silver medals), and Telangana (2 silver medals) finished in that order on the medal standings.
The Chandigarh men’s ice hockey team became the talk of the town after they stunned hosts Ladakh 3-2 in the semifinals on Saturday. For a team that started playing ice hockey in KIWG 2025, Chandigarh’s entry into the final was indeed credible. Against the Army, Chandigarh proved that the win against Ladakh was no fluke. To come back from two goals down and then almost force extra time was simply amazing. Interestingly, Chandigarh had lost 10-1 against Army in the league stage.
NDS Stadium perhaps celebrated Republic Day like never before. The 5000-capacity new-look stadium with a covered roof was full more than an hour before the ice hockey final was scheduled to start. Army scored first in the sixth minute when Padma Namgail’s long-range flick found its mark. In the 10th minute of the first period, Tsewang Dorjay added the insurance with another firm push that found the far corner.
But Chandigarh did not throw in the towel. The second period did not produce any goals. Chandigarh played clean hockey, and unlike most games that see a lot of physical play, the final was clean and attractive from a skills point of view.
Chandigarh stormed back in the final quarter. Chandigarh scored twice in three minutes. With eight minutes to go, Gurtej Singh Bhatti broke the Army defence, and then Birshahaanjit Singh made it 2-2 with a deft flick after coming from behind the Army goal. The referees awarded the goal to Chandigarh after reviewing it for more than 10 minutes.
Stunned by Chandigarh’s fightback, the Army then raised its game and attacked the Chandigarh goal from all directions. The only time the Chandigarh defence lowered its guard, Padma Norboo found the match-winner, once again with a long-ranger.
“I think that we are the winners. It was truly an exceptional experience, and everything happened by the grace of God. This journey has meant a lot to us. We promise to work even harder next time, train with more dedication, and fight for trophies at the state level and beyond,” said Chandigarh’s head coach Gaurav Raheja.
Goal scorer Birshahaanjit said: “I have been playing inline hockey for the past eight years, and that experience has given me great confidence in my skating, dribbling, and puck-control skills. I believe I was able to demonstrate that control on the rink today. This is only my second year competing on ice. Last year, our team finished in fifth place, and I feel we have made significant progress since then. I am confident that next year we will be playing for the gold medal.”
Padma Namgail, who scored the first goal for Army, admitted his team was under pressure after Chandigarh made it 2-2 in the last few minutes of the game. “Frankly speaking, we didn’t expect them to be this good. They played really well, but again, we were also not at our best today. It happens when you play against less-experienced teams. Against ITBP, we took no chances. But compliments to what Chandigarh did today,” he told SAI Media.
Republic Day action at the NDS Stadium began with the 2000 metres short track mixed relay heats. The mixed relay sees the best speed skaters in action, and all six teams lined up their best combination. The teams were divided into two groups of three each, with the best three qualifying for the final.