Bombay High Court Halts Maharashtra's Ice Hockey Team Selection for Khelo India Winter Games

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Mumbai: In a shocking move, the Bombay High Court has temporarily halted the selection of Maharashtra's ice hockey team for the Khelo India Winter Games 2026, citing irregularities in the selection process. The court has put on hold the 19-member squad chosen for the games, which are scheduled to begin in Ladakh on Tuesday. The court expressed surprise that the trials for the team were conducted at a skating facility in Nigdi, Pune, where players had to use roller skates, instead of the state's only ice hockey facility at the Phoenix Millenium Mall in Pune. This decision was made despite a request from the ad-hoc committee of the Ice Hockey Association of Maharashtra to hold the tryouts at the state's only ice hockey facility. Furthermore, the court noted that only one of the 19 selected players had participated in an ice hockey tournament, while 20-odd national players, who have been participating in Winter Games at the national level, were ignored in the selection process. Two of these players have even represented India in under-20 boys' tournaments at the international level. The court's decision comes after a petition filed by five ice hockey players from Pune and Sangli, who claimed that the selection process was unfair. Their counsel, advocates Vinod Sangvikar and Shubham Sonawane, pointed out that 19 participants had turned up for the trials, and every one of them had been selected for the squad, against a team of six which would compete in the games. The court has posted the petition for further hearing on February 18. The general secretary of the Ice Hockey Association of India, Harjinder Singh, has accused the Maharashtra association of being embroiled in an administrative mess for a few years, which has led to the selection of unqualified players. The court's decision is a major blow to the Maharashtra ice hockey team, which had been preparing for the Khelo India Winter Games. The games are expected to begin in Ladakh on Tuesday, but the fate of the Maharashtra team remains uncertain until the court's further orders.