Kargil (Ladakh): A 15-year old Samina Khatoon, studying in the 9th standard in Kargil, didn’t want to give up the opportunity and so juggled between school and practice from 2020 onwards, and won her parents’ approval to play ice hockey.
Samina’s classmates envied her. However, they helped her catch up with missed class notes, lectures and assignments.Her dedication paid off when she made the Ladakh Women’s Ice Hockey Team in 2023.
She became the youngest player in the team at the 2025 Khelo India Winter Games, and recently scored a goal in Ladakh’s 4-0 win against ITBP, leading her team to a gold medal.
Her journey started with local tournaments, where she gained recognition for her skills, including scoring 6 goals at the 2024-25 CEC Cup. Support for women’s sports has grown in Kargil, with more girls taking up ice hockey, thanks to clubs and programs offering training and equipment.
Samina’s success highlights the changing attitudes toward women in sports in the region.She played for clubs from Kargil and went on to play in tournaments such as the LG Cup/CEC Cup.
In the CEC Cup of 2024-25, she scored 6 goals while representing Downhill Kargil Adventure Sports Club and was declared the Player of the Series. She scored once in Ladakh’s 4-0 win against arch-rivals ITBP en route to the KIWG-2025 Gold.
In Kargil, communities have opened their doors to opportunities for the new generation of boys and girls alike, sans any gender bias. Women are now being supported and encouraged by their families and society at large to follow professions and passions of their choice.
Samina Khatoon’s mother told she gave a mild disapproval about taking up a sport which was predominantly pursued by boys in Ladakh’s Kargil District. “You will turn black and blue,” her mother had warned her.
However, Samina could not resist the pair of skiing boots lying idle in her house. The boots were gifted by her uncle to her elder brother whose disinterest in the pair proved to be Samina’s glide to glory.
With her rise to Assistant Captain of the UT Women’s Ice Hockey Team, Samina continues to inspire young girls across Ladakh.
“I have a lot to learn and a long way to go,” she says, as she looks ahead to even greater achievements—(KNO)
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