Exclusive: International coach Darryl Easson backs India for winter sports ahead of Ice Hockey League

As India continues to thrive in multiple sports, the nation is now taking a small but significant step into unknown territory as it prepares for the Winter Games. Still with work to do, Ladkah, a Union Territory in the Himalayan regions of the North, is the flag bearer for winter sports. With the upcoming 2025 Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League in site, WION exclusively caught up with Canada’s Darryl Easson, an experienced Ice hockey coach who has worked with teams including the United Kingdom and Hungary.

Darryl brings tons of experience to the table and will work closely with 32 coaches shortlisted from Ladakh, Lahaul, and Spiti for the Ice hockey coach training camp in Gurugram. In an exclusive chat with WION’s Aditya Pimpale, he spoke openly about how India can take the next step and prepare for winter sports.

Question: Why do you think India will be one of the major hubs, and why have you chosen the nation for Ice hockey coaching?

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Answer: They've had Ice hockey here for a long time. It's about now making it better and helping them improve in the way they're actually going to develop with people wanting to push it forward a little bit too.

Question: You have been in India for quite a while now. Do you see any potential in the nation to push for glory in winter sports, particularly Ice hockey?

Answer: They're not just as good on the ice, but some are actually good at the sport off the ice. There are some very good hockey players and they on top of everything else are enthusiastic. They're involved in the sport. They wanna teach the sport so I think India can dream of glory if they come up with the right mentality, plan and practice.

We've had a lot that's happening now. We've got 6 or 8 people who are now turning and listening to what I'm saying, but also helping translate and try to help speak. So that's a great start that you've got people wanting to help each other to grow the sport.

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Question: How do you think is the infrastructure for Ice hockey in India, while we have good facilities for sports like cricket and others?

Answer: What do you need for a cricket field. A field in 4 pieces of wood and that's it. So, you know, I lived in lived in Zurich. There's an area in Zurich where we used to work at the international Ice hockey fair, and guys were playing cricket there all the time. That's all you need. It's a little bit more accessible than hockey where you need ice. So you get the ice, people will come, they'll skate, and they'll and they'll try and learn. So there is always room for improvement. So all need not be perfect with things slowly and gradually coming together.

The Royal Enfield Ice hockey coach training camp held from December 8 to 12 focused on the training of coaches as they will further train over 500 players for the 2025 Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League, Ladakh, and the Spiti Cup. ‘The Gamechanger’ was created and released by Royal Enfield in December 2023 in collaboration with local and international stakeholders which provided a Blueprint for Ice Hockey in India.