The bane of being a winter games athlete in a tropical country has never left them. But on Sunday, the Indian men's ice hockey team overcame all that by recording their first international win since 2018 when they beat Macau 4-2 at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China.
Not having participated in an International Ice Hockey Federation tournament since 2018 and getting just a handful of days to prepare for the current event due to selection de lays, the Indian team scripted a memorable win in their last group-stage game.
It may not prove enough to advance. Having suffered huge losses - a 0-30 and a 1-19 drubbing by Hong Kong and Turkmenistan respectively, India were at the bottom of the pool, but the win was a great morale boost for a team constantly facing the odds. They ended their campaign in third spot in Group C with three much-treasured points.
Sports science expert, Dr Sarthak Patnaik, who is currently with the team in China, said the victory at the Harbin Ice Hockey Arena was important for a number of reasons.
"It was a great win, especially considering the challenges our players are facing. They have suffered multiple injuries but have not given up. Moreover, the squad is quite thin, we are playing without many extra players or substitutes. That's stressful but the team has carried on the fight," Patnaik, of the Bhubaneswar-based Sports Science India, told TOI from Harbin.
Indians were 3-0 ahead early on with goals from Mohammed Ali Baba, Mohd Ismail and Tsering Angchuk. Macau pulled one back through 16-year-old Edison Pak, but the Indians stamped their authority with a goal from Tsering Angdus to make it 4-0.
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