Royal Enfield Ice Hockey Season 3 Launches Advanced Referee Training Programme

By A Staff Reporter

The Referee Training Programme under Royal Enfield Ice Hockey Season 3 is currently underway at ISKATE by Roseate, marking the second major on-ground capacity-building initiative of the 2025–26 season. The programme aims to strengthen officiating standards and deepen technical understanding of the sport among officials from India’s fast-growing ice hockey regions.

Twenty referees from Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are participating in the advanced training module, led by renowned International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) referee Péter Gebei. The sessions combine practical skating drills, rules interpretation, game-management techniques and exposure to international officiating protocols crucial for improving the quality of domestic competitions.

Gebei, who conducted a preliminary online orientation prior to his arrival in India, expressed optimism about the participants’ potential. “Before I arrived in India, we had an online session with the guys, and I’m very happy that we finally made it here. A lot of them are good skaters and very fit, so everything is possible when we work together,” he said.

Highlighting the depth required in professional officiating, he added, “Learning the rules is very simple, but beyond that, you must understand the rules and understand the philosophy of the referee system. That’s a different level.”