Leh (Ladakh) [India], February 7 (ANI): Captain Urgain Samstan and Chamba Tsetan opened Day ten of the Ice Hockey League Season 3 at Nawang Dorjay Stobdan (NDS) Stadium, Leh, on Saturday, with hat-tricks as Changthang Shans registered the day’s first win. Organised in partnership with the UT Administration of Ladakh and the Ice Hockey Association of Ladakh, the day also saw the season’s first tie in the women’s fixture between Shakar Chiktan Queens and Humas Queens. Purig Warriors also secured a win, while Shakar Chiktan Royals closed the day with a narrow victory.
Changthang Shans and Changla Blasters opened the day with an all-Changthang game, with the Shans skating away to an 11-3 win, driven by hat-tricks from Captain Urgain Samstan and Chamba Tsetan. Changla struck first as Stanzin Nurboo scored within the first 12 seconds, but Urgain answered within the next 12 seconds to level, as per a press release.
The Blasters went ahead again through Stanzin Namgyal’s tap-in, only for Tsering Nurboo to restore parity. Chamba then snapped the deadlock with a drag-shot finish, before Phuntsog Namgyal and Urgain added goals to give the Shans control. Shans kept the pressure on through Rigzen Namgyal and another from Chamba, while Namgyal pulled one back for Changla in the second period. The Shans then took full command in the third, with Chamba, Rigzen Chosphel, Urgain and Tsering on the scoresheet to complete the 11. The win moved Changthang Shans two positions up on the points table, while Changla Blasters slipped down one.
The next game saw Kargil representatives, Purig Warriors, register an 8-1 win over the Zanskar Chadar Tamers. Purig captain Sajjad Hussain set the early tempo in the first period with a tap-in and a drag-shot finish. The Warriors extended the gap in the second through Zakir Hussain’s slapshot and Sarfaraz Hussain’s tap-in. Purig kept the pressure on in the third as Nawaz Ali added a wrist shot, before Answar Huwssain completed a hat-trick, scoring with a backhanded flick, a tap-in and the final goal to close out the result. Jigmath Kunzong got Tamers on the board late in the third with a drag flick, but Purig’s win moved them up a place on the points table and dropped Zanskar by one.
The women’s fixture between Shakar Chiktan Queens and Drass-based Humas Queens ended in the season’s first draw, 1-1. Maqsuma Akhter put Humas ahead with a tap-in in the final minute of the first period. Shakar responded immediately as captain Nissa Khatoon scored the equaliser in the opening minute of the second period, and both sides held firm for the remainder of the game. Despite the tie, Shakar Chiktan Queens moved up one place on the points table, while Humas Queens retained their position.
Sham Wolves beat United Nubra 3-2 in the next game, holding off a late push to take the points. Jigmet Choter put the Wolves in front in the second minute, but Nubra levelled before the break as Tashi Chotak finished with a drag shot in the final minute of the first period. The Wolves regained the lead in the second period when Rigzen Dorjey’s slapshot deflected off the goalkeeper’s right leg pad and into the net. Captain Stanzin Chosphel then extended the advantage with a slapshot from centre. Nubra reduced the gap in the third through Tsewang Tashi’s drag shot, but Sham Wolves closed out the win. The result moved the Wolves up two notches on the points table, while United Nubra stayed in the same position.
Shakar Chiktan Royals closed the day with a 3-2 win over Kharu Falcons, settling the contest with a late winner. The Royals struck first through Asgar Ali, whose slap shot found the net, and they carried the 1-0 lead through the first period. In the second, Ali Akbar doubled the advantage after carrying the puck through the zones and finishing with a tap-in. Kharu responded quickly. Rigzin Punchok pulled one back with a tap-in, and Jigmat Choster followed with the equaliser to bring the game level by the end of the second period. The deadlock held deep into the third until Ashiq Hussain converted a tap-in in the 14th minute to secure the result for the Royals. The win kept Shakar Chiktan Royals in the top four on the points table.
Day eleven of the League (February 08, 2026) opens with Changla Blasters taking on Kangs Sing. Changthang Shans then face Zanskar Chadar Tamers, followed by the women’s fixture between Changla Lamos and Kharu Eagles. United Nubra meet Purig Warriors later in the day, before Maryul Spawo play Humas Warriors in the final game.
As the Ice Hockey League Season 3, sponsored by Royal Enfield, moves into its final league phase, just days ahead of the semi-finals, the depth and breadth of regional participation have come sharply into focus. Teams representing Leh, Nubra, Changthang, Sham, Kharu, Humas (Drass), Kargil, Shakar Chiktan and Zanskar have all featured prominently this season, underscoring how the league has grown into a genuinely pan-regional platform. Irrespective of results, the consistent presence and competitiveness of sides from regions such as Purig, Humas, Shakar and Zanskar reflect the impact of sustained training and wider access to structured play, reinforcing the League’s role as both a developmental pathway and a shared winter sporting tradition rooted in Ladakh’s communities. (ANI)
