Excelsior Sports Correspondent
LEH, Mar 21: The Ice Hockey team of Ladakh Women’s Ice Hockey Foundation represented India in the Union Women Ice Hockey Tournament at Dubai and won Silver for the country on March 20 that too without any timely support from Ladakh Administration.
The team had written letters to Ladakh Administration and Department of Youth Services and Sports for financial support but they did nothing for them. “With no response from them, the team approached Saspol Constituency Councillor Smanla Dorje Nurboo on March10 for arranging Rs 10 .56 lacs for the travel and visa expenses of 20 athletes,” team players said.
The Councillor arranged the amount from his close friend and through a funding campaign and sponsored the team for the Dubai based tournament. Meanwhile, the Councillor was contacted by representatives from the Indian Youth Congress Headquarters at Delhi and told him that the whole amount of 10.56 lakhs shall be funded by IYC and the office bearers of the Youth Congress also suggested him to continue the crowd-funding campaign for further support of the team and Ladakh Women’s Ice Hockey Foundation.
The Councillor said that after the crowd funding campaign, the matter came into the knowledge of LG, RK Mathur and he asked the team that he would support the cause from his discretionary funds.
The Councillor Smanla thanked the Lt Governor RK Mathur for the support and also conveyed gratitude to Krishna Allavaru, joint secretary, All India Congress Committee, Srinivas BV, president, Indian Youth Congress, Harsimran Kaur Bajwa, secretary/in-charge PYC Ladakh for their timely intervention and support.