New Delhi, April 2023: Royal Enfield, the world’s oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production since 1901 announced their partnership with the Indian women’s Ice Hockey team in an effort to strengthen their Olympic ambitions. The partnership is an extension of the relationship of Royal Enfield with UT Ladakh in order to develop winter sports in the region. To celebrate this partnership, Royal Enfield alongwith the Ice Hockey Association of India unveiled the new jersey for Team India. The Indian women’s Ice Hockey team is scheduled to depart for Thailand on 11th April to participate in the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s Asia and Oceania Championship from 30th April to 7th May 2023.
Royal Enfield is supporting the training of the 20-member Indian Ice Hockey squad, including 5 debutants, which will be coached by Canadian Darrin Harrold with Tsewang Gyaltson and Amit Belwal assisting him. Tsewang Chuskit will captain the squad with the accomplished Dr. Noor Jahan, a conservationist by training, in charge of the goal.
The unveiling of the team jersey was followed by a panel discussion on the growth of Ice Hockey across the Himalayas, the development of winter sports and winter tourism. The 20 players of the Indian national team, hailing from Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, had the opportunity to connect and converse with key members of the Indian sporting ecosystem over the course of the evening. Royal Enfield is currently working with all stakeholders to grow Ice Hockey, winter sport and winter tourism across the Himalayas. The objective is to build an eco-system for Ice Hockey that will eventually enable Indian players to compete at the highest levels of the sport, including the Winter Olympics.
“The Himalayas is our spiritual home and our partnership with the Indian Women’s Ice Hockey team, is part of our social ambition to work together with 100 Himalayan communities to build resilience and support their ecosystem. Royal Enfield has been commissioned by UT Ladakh to develop a blueprint for Ice Hockey, towards achieving the ambition of Team India competing in the Winter Olympics. Alongside, we have been supporting the training of coaches and players, both at the grassroots level as well as at advanced levels and with necessary equipment and infrastructure. Tonight, we are proud to host these incredible women and wish them all the best as they head off to the icy battles that lie ahead of them in the Championship,” – Bidisha Dey, Executive Director, Eicher Group Foundation, the CSR arm of Royal Enfield.
The 18 women from the Union Territory of Ladakh and 2 from the state of Himachal Pradesh are at the spearhead of a sport that has grown in popularity over the past decade in these mountainous regions. Owing to the natural formation of ice through the winter months, the sport of Ice Hockey has steadily gained popularity and is passionately played, not only as winter entertainment but also as a serious sport.
“It’s truly a proud moment for all of us at the Ice Hockey Association of India as our girls prepare to compete at yet another major global championship. Our goal is to ensure that more people across the country see ice hockey as the serious competitive sport it is and not just a winter recreational game. India has huge potential when it comes to winter sports, and we’re glad that Royal Enfield has agreed to be a partner in our efforts to grow this sport and enable our players to compete with the best,” – Mr Harjinder Singh Jindi, General Secretary, Ice Hockey Association of India.
In 2023, 18 Asian countries will be represented in the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship programme at different levels. These include Kazakhstan, Korea, Japan, China, the United Arab Emirates, DPR Korea, Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Hong Kong (China), Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Singapore, Malaysia, Kuwait, the Philippines, Mongolia and Indonesia.
The IIHF Asia and Oceania Championship (formerly IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia) gives Asian and Oceania members that are not yet part of the World Championship Program the chance to compete and gain valuable game experience. It is also an important platform leading to the Asian Winter Games.
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About Royal Enfield
The oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, Royal Enfield has created beautifully crafted motorcycles since 1901. From its British roots, a manufacturing plant was established in Madras in 1955, a foothold from which Royal Enfield spearheaded the growth of India’s mid-sized two-wheeler segment. Royal Enfields are engaging, uncomplicated, accessible, and fun to ride; a vehicle for exploration and self-expression. It’s an approach the brand calls Pure Motorcycling.
Royal Enfield’s premium line-up includes the stylish Hunter 350, the timeless Classic 350, the Meteor 350 cruiser, the 650 parallel twin motorcycles – New Super Meteor 650, Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650. The adventure motorcycles – Himalayan adventure tourer and the Scram 411 ADV Crossover, and the iconic Bullet 350. Riders and a passionate community are fostered with a rich profusion of events at a local, regional and international level. Most notable are Rider Mania, an annual gathering of thousands of Royal Enfield enthusiasts in Goa, and Himalayan Odyssey, a yearly pilgrimage over some of the toughest terrain and highest mountain passes.
A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield operates through more than 2100 stores across all major cities and towns in India and through nearly 850 stores in more than 60 countries around the globe. Royal Enfield also has two world-class technical centres, in Bruntingthorpe, UK, and in Chennai, India. The company’s two state-of-the-art production facilities are located at Oragadam and Vallam Vadagal, near Chennai. Across the world, Royal Enfield has four modern CKD assembly facilities in Brazil, Thailand, Argentina and Colombia. With more than 37% CAGR for the last 5 years and sales in international markets up 108% in 2021-22, Royal Enfield is the leader in the global mid-size motorcycle market.
Royal Enfield’s social mission is to partner with 100 Himalayan communities in adapting to climate change and thriving as resilient communities by the year 2030. From being active partners in generating enhanced livelihood for Ladakh’s artisan-herders, creating opportunities and platforms in Ladakh to field an Indian Ice Hockey team at the Winter Olympics, an effective solid waste management programme that not only empowers women but also helps them break down caste barriers to creation of homestays to foster tourism and Fellowships that create platforms that allow members of the local communities to tell their stories from their own perspectives and programmes that promote responsible travel, Royal Enfield is committed to a sustainable future in the Himalayan region.
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