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The Spiti Cup 2025 concluded with an action-packed finale, where teams fiercely competed across Men's, Women's, and U-18 Boys' categories showcasing the finest grassroots Ice Hockey talent from the Lahaul Spiti region.
Sham Zone clinched the Men's title with a narrow 1-0 victory over Center Zone, while the Women's championship was decided on goal difference, with Center Zone emerging as the winner. Tod Zone claimed the U-18 Boys' title. With standout performances from players like Tanzin Solden and Kunga Wangpo and stellar goalkeeping by Abhishek Thakur, the Spiti Cup 2025 highlighted the growing Ice Hockey culture in the Himalayas, a release from Spiti Cup 2025 stated. In the first match of the final day of the Spiti Cup 2025, Tod Zone Women's team defeated Pin Zone 4-1 to finish second in the Women's category. Nawang Lamo gave Tod Zone an early lead in the first period with a short flick shot, followed by an assist to Kunga Yangchen, making it 2-0 by the end of the period. Despite Tod's aggressive play, Pin Zone's defence held strong. The fast-paced second period saw Nawang Lamo score her second goal, extending Tod's lead to 3-0. Pin Zone's Chheong Dolma struck in the third period, narrowing the score to 3-1, but Nawang Linzom sealed the game for Tod Zone with a final goal, ending the match at 4-1. In the final match of the Spiti Cup 2025, the Sham Zone Men's team secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Center Zone to claim the Men's Championship. Both teams began the match at a blistering pace, trading quick attacks in the first period. The only goal of the game came in the 7th minute when Ajay from Sham Zone found the net with a decisive strike. The second period saw Center Zone pressing hard for an equalizer, but Sham Zone's goalkeeper, Abhishek, delivered a stellar performance to keep them at bay. Despite relentless efforts in the third period, neither team managed to convert, resulting in a 1-0 win for Sham Zone and crowning them champions of the Men's category. The Spiti Cup 2025 ended on a high note, with cash prizes recognizing the winners and individual achievers. Sham Zone and Center Zone walked away with Rs 15,000 as winners in their respective categories, while Tod Zone claimed top honours in the U-18 Boys' category. Individual awards for Player of the Tournament and Best Goalkeeper went to Abhishek Rathore and Abhishek Thakur of Sham Zone, respectively. With its emphasis on grassroots development and the celebration of Himalayan sportsmanship, the tournament reaffirmed Spiti's status as a budding hub for Ice Hockey in India. The Spiti Cup 2025 also hosted the Ice Skating Championship, which was conducted in eight categories. In the Open Girls category, Kunga Yanagchen of Hull secured first place while Tanzin Dekyong of Lossar and Tanzin Youdon of Kaza finished second and third respectively. The Open Men's category saw Tashi of Hull crowned champion, followed by Kaza's Sonam Kalzang and Ringzin Sonam in second and third place. Kaza skaters dominated the Under-16 Girls category, with Tsering Yangchen, Tanzin Zompa and Angrup Tsomo securing the podium positions. The Under-16 Boys was won by Chhering Dorje of Lalung, followed by Takpa Thuktan in second place and Tanzin Toden of Lossar in third. Sonam Yiyong of Kaza brought another title for the team after winning the Under-12 Girls title and Pushpa Devi of Sagnam and Niharika of Sangla finished in second and third place respectively. In the Under-12 Boys category, Konchok Tanzin of Kaza emerged victorious as Tanzin Kunjob of Kaza and Lossar's Tanzin Lotey finished in second place and third place. In the Under-8 Girls category, Nikita of Sangla was crowned the winner and Yangchen Chhodon of Kaza and Tanzin Dodon of Lossar secured the next two places. In the Under-8 Boys category, Kaza skaters swept the podium once again with Tanzin Mifran, Tanzin Laksan and Dorje Wangdui finishing in first, second and third place respectively. First-place winners were awarded Rs 2500 each, while the second-place winners received Rs 1500 and the third-place winners earned Rs 1000. The Spiti Cup 2025 continues to advance its mission to enabling emerging Ice Hockey players and expanding the sport to new regions with athletes from Lossar, Hull, Kiato, Kaza, Schichiling, Lalung, Gilling, Sagnam, and Sangla showcasing their skills to earn a chance to represent Himachal Pradesh at key national-level competitions such as the Khelo India Winter Games. (ANI)
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