Ice hockey in the Himalayas - Playing in the climate crisis | DW Documentary

Deachen from Ladakh has a dream - to qualify for the youth squad of India’s national women’s ice hockey team. But because of the climate crisis, winters are getting shorter meaning there’s less time to train. The 15-year-old Indian girl Deachen rubs her hands before pulling on large ice hockey gloves and picking up her hockey stick. She then squints up at the snow-capped Himalayan peaks. She should really be training on proper ice by now. But instead, she’s forced to practice with a tennis ball on tarmac. That is because the lakes on the high plateaus of Ladakh are not yet frozen over. This region is also feeling the effects of global warming: bodies of water are turning to ice later and winters are shorter. Because there are no ice rinks, this means there is less time to train. Ice hockey is the most popular winter sport in Ladakh, in the north of India. India’s national women’s ice hockey team was founded in 2017. It is Deachen’s big dream to join it one day, to play professionally and travel the world. Luckily, it’ll soon be vacation time and she can leave her boarding school in the capital Leh and go home, to the mountain village of Chumathang. Once there, she will be able to get back on the ice and seize a major opportunity: the captain of the Indian national women’s team is coming to her village to scout for new talent for the youth squad. Will Deachen manage to qualify? #documentary #dwdocumentary #icehockey ______ DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary. Subscribe to: ⮞ DW Documentary (English):    / dwdocumentary   ⮞ DW Documental (Spanish):    / dwdocumental   ⮞ DW Documentary وثائقية دي دبليو (Arabic):    / dwdocarabia   ⮞ DW Doku (German):    / dwdoku   ⮞ DW Documentary हिन्दी (Hindi):    / dwdochindi   For more visit: http://www.dw.com/en/tv/docfilm/s-3610 Follow DW Documentary on Instagram:   / dwdocumentary   Follow DW Documental on Facebook:   / dwdocumental   We kindly ask viewers to read and stick to the DW netiquette policy on our channel: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G