Leh (Ladakh) [India], August 6 (ANI): The inaugural Challengers’ Cup has delivered five days of high-quality Ice Hockey action in Leh, with emerging talent from the Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League and the Spiti Cup competing alongside the Indian Army Ice Hockey Team and the Central Ice Hockey Team (ITBP).
The championship final will see the Indian Army Ice Hockey Team and Leh Kings battle it out for the inaugural Royal Enfield Challengers’ Cup title on August 06th at the Nawang Dorjay Stobdan (NDS) Stadium, Leh, according to a press release.
The tournament’s defining moment arrived on Day Four, when Leh Kings delivered a commanding 7-3 victory over the Central Ice Hockey Team (ITBP) in what proved to be one of the most gripping games of the inaugural Royal Enfield Challengers’ Cup.
Stanzin Lotus set the tone early, opening the scoring in the second minute, before Tsering Angchuk and Nawang Gyatso extended the lead to 3-0. ITBP responded with determination through goals from Tashi Tundup and Mohd Ismail to close the gap to 3-2, but Leh Kings surged again with a decisive three-goal burst, Lotus netting twice and Tsering Angchuk finding the net once more to make it 6-2.
Rigzen Dorjay pulled one back for ITBP, but Sonam Wangail sealed the victory for Leh Kings with a final goal to close the game at 7-3. Behind the scoresheet, goalkeeper Tsewang Namgail was instrumental, producing a string of crucial saves to keep ITBP at bay and earning the Player of the Game award for his outstanding display between the posts.
The result underlined the steady growth of grassroots Ice Hockey in the Himalayas, powered by Royal Enfield Social Mission’s sustained commitment to community-led player development.
The Indian Army Ice Hockey Team secured their place in the final with an unblemished run through the round-robin stage, punctuated by a resounding 10-0 victory over Kargil Warriors in their final group game.
Jigmath Kunzang wasted no time, opening the scoring in the very first minute, before Stanzin Chosying doubled the lead to close out the first period. The second and third periods saw contributions across the lineup, with Rigzen Namgail, Padma Namgail with a brace, and Tsewang Dorjay’s double ensuring a steady flow of goals.
Dorjay Angchuk, Padma Norboo and Tsewang Stanzin added three more in the final stretch to seal a comprehensive clean-sheet victory. Dorjay Angchuk was named Player of the Game for a composed and coordinated performance, as the Indian Army underlined their credentials as the strongest side in the tournament heading into the final.
The tournament has also witnessed several standout individual performances. Sonam Wangail of Leh Kings has emerged as the leading scorer among the regional teams with eight goals, followed by Mohd Ismail of the Central Ice Hockey Team (ITBP) with six goals, while Mohd Ismail, Sonam Tsetan, Sonam Wangail, Zakir Hussain, Jigmath Kunzang, Tsering Angchuk, Tsewang Namgail, Mohammad Ali Baba, Dorjay Angchuk and Rigzin Norboo won player of the game in their respective games.
With the league stage now complete, the Indian Army Ice Hockey Team finished at the top of the standings with 10 points, followed by the Leh Kings with nine points, confirming both teams as the finalists of the inaugural Royal Enfield Challengers’ Cup.
Indian Army Ice Hockey Team remained unbeaten throughout the league phase, while the Leh Kings secured their place in the finals with a series of commanding performances. The two sides will now face off in the championship final on August 6, bringing the inaugural edition of the Challengers’ Cup to an exciting conclusion. (ANI)
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