Leh, India: When piercing cold winds blow through the surroundings and the mighty Himalayas are covered with thick snow, the town of Leh warms up to ice hockey, a niche sport being supported by Sun Life Financial – a leading international financial services company headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
Sun Life Financial has partnered with The Hockey Foundation to sponsor an ice hockey tournament at Karzoo (January 17-18) and help get more people in India strapping on the blades and playing Canada’s national game. Here’s the best part: this event will all take place on the highest ice rink in the world at 3,484 meters.
As part of its $20,000 CDN sponsorship, Sun Life is also supporting three qualified ice hockey coaches to put on instruction sessions in Leh, Mumbai and Delhi. In addition, Sun Life has provided jerseys and equipment to The Hockey Foundation so they can get more people involved in the game.
“Sun Life has a long history of doing business in India and as the only Canadian insurer in this country, this sponsorship was a natural fit for us,” says Paul Joliat, Assistant Vice-President of Philanthropy and Sponsorship. “We are always looking for opportunities to sponsor health-related activities in the communities and regions where we operate, and when we heard about the work to grow the game of hockey and get people involved in a healthy, fun activity, we were immediately attracted to the initiative.”
Started by a bunch of sport enthusiasts from Canada, ice hockey in the foothills of the Himalayas has grown to become an annual sporting pilgrimage, drawing interest of teams and players from throughout the world. The growing popularity of the sport in India has drawn its support from The Hockey Foundation.
Ice Hockey has led to a spike in Jammu and Kashmir’s tourist footfalls, with sport adventurists from across the globe thronging the place to play and watch the sport in the sparkling and breathtaking backdrop of the Himalayan range.
Ever since the game found its calling in Leh, hundreds of children have learned the game and all of the amazing life skills that come with playing it. A game, which is thriving here, could not have kept itself alive in the absence of support - both financial and in terms of training, something it has found from many quarters.
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