First ice arena for India

http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/article/first-ice-arena-for-india.html?tx_ttnews[backPid]=955&cHash=6cb9abfb5a

First ice arena for India

Sport centre in Dehradun to be completed soon

DEHRADUN, India – Ice hockey in India took another step as the first ice arena in the country will soon be completed.

Hockey in India started in the late ‘80s and the sport is mostly played in the Northern part of the country close to the Himalayas.

Last year, 4,000 fans attended the national championship at an open ice rink in Leh close to the border to Tibet.

Instead of boards, stone walls marked the rink and instead of advertisements there were banners like “Don’t sit around heaters at home in 20°C. Come out and play ice hockey in 20°C below.”

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Over a billion people in the country and they're only getting their first arena?

They should name it the Robin Bawa Arena. He's the only Indian hockey player I've ever heard of.

LOL, that's great!

A lot of people in northern India actually play ice hockey apparently, though it's more like classic shinny. It's a pretty popular novel sport.

A lot of the Indians in Metro Van are crazy about hockey. I wouldn't be surprised to see an influx of pro-Indian hockey players over the next 20 years given the sort of attention and popularity it has (and I'm told it's similar in places like Brampton).

Good for India though.

Good to see the sport grow into new places.

The growth of the game in India even on a regional level is something that could end up having a massive impact on the sport.

A lot of people in northern India actually play ice hockey apparently, though it's more like classic shinny. It's a pretty popular novel sport.

A lot of the Indians in Metro Van are crazy about hockey. I wouldn't be surprised to see an influx of pro-Indian hockey players over the next 20 years given the sort of attention and popularity it has (and I'm told it's similar in places like Brampton).

Good for India though.

I coach in Brampton area and defiantly there is quite a bit of younger Indian kids getting involved but it might not be until their generations kids before we really start to see any close to NHL talent.

A billion people, and only now the country gets its first ice rink?

I'm sorry, but that's pathetic.

A billion people, and only now the country gets its first ice rink?

I'm sorry, but that's pathetic.

why is it pathetic?

A billion people, and only now the country gets its first ice rink?

I'm sorry, but that's pathetic.

Uhh its India, figure it out.

A billion people, and only now the country gets its first ice rink?

I'm sorry, but that's pathetic.

For a country with a per capita GDP that's less than 1/10th that of the United States or Canada, I'd say getting their first ice rink is a pretty big triumph.

I knew hockey was popular up north, so it makes sense that the first rink goes there. It would be great to see India develop a competitive NT program, or at least some NHL talent within my lifetime.

Of all the NHL players with Asian nationality (India is part of Asia, for those that don't know), only one is of Asian nationality. Only three of them are American.

The rest are Canadian.


The good news is that, between India setting up its first rink and China pouring money into hockey development, there are signs that interest in the game is growing.

A billion people, and only now the country gets its first ice rink?

I'm sorry, but that's pathetic.

Not rink, arena.

This is good news, nice to hear.

Of all the NHL players with Asian nationality (India is part of Asia, for those that don't know), only one is of Asian nationality. Only three of them are American.

The rest are Canadian.


The good news is that, between India setting up its first rink and China pouring money into hockey development, there are signs that interest in the game is growing.

Do you have a link for "China pouring money into hockey development"? I only know briefly of Charles Wang's contributions.

Over a billion people in the country and they're only getting their first arena?

They should name it the Robin Bawa Arena. He's the only Indian hockey player I've ever heard of.

It's a hot climate for most of India, it makes sense that Hockey isn't that big there for there to be an arena.

Did a quick google search for "Indo-Canadian" hockey players and it brought up these guys...

Manny Malhotra - NYR/Dal/CBJ/Sharks
Ajay Baines - WHL/AHL
Robin Bawa - Canucks back in the day
Prabh Rai - was just signed I think by the Canucks to an ELC.

Thing is, they're canadian. If these guys wanted to help promote the sport in India, this would be a good time, while there is an influx of young indo canadian hockey players playing in junior leagues. It's truly starting to become a really diverse sport.

For a country with a per capita GDP that's less than 1/10th that of the United States or Canada, I'd say getting their first ice rink is a pretty big triumph.

I knew hockey was popular up north, so it makes sense that the first rink goes there. It would be great to see India develop a competitive NT program, or at least some NHL talent within my lifetime.

We've seen ex-NHL players go to China and those parts to help build their sport up, I'd imagine a few ex-NHL players of east Indian descent would do the same. For the person that says that's pathetic, if you are just staring at the population, sure. Hockey isn't really a sport that will interest a lot of people there. I mean it's hot as hell there and people are skating around on ice in an arena. Most people play grass hockey there and cricket and some other wrestling type of thing that I saw on some special on ESPN.

This is good for hockey, in general. Forget the NHL, this is good for HOCKEY. China is involved and now India.

A billion people, and only now the country gets its first ice rink?

I'm sorry, but that's pathetic.

Yeah, you'd think half the country lived in mud huts and were fighting a Maoist guerrilla revolution or something!

Of all the NHL players with Asian nationality (India is part of Asia, for those that don't know), only one is of Asian nationality.

I found this rather interesting.

Which "nationality" should be subbed for ethnicity?