Two teams from Galaxy Hockey Academy in Dubai have come home from the Istanbul International Youth Ice Hockey Cup with two medals. The Galaxy Warriors U11 won gold in their category, and the academy’s U13 side took silver. The tournament ran from 15 to 17 October in Istanbul.
Ice hockey in a city with no winter
It is an unlikely result for a city best known for sunshine. Dubai has no winter, so the academy’s children train all year round on indoor ice. Galaxy Hockey Academy now has more than 300 young players from 38 nationalities, and the Istanbul medals show what that indoor training can produce on an international stage.
The photos from Istanbul
The academy sent us three photographs from the trip. In the first, the Galaxy Warriors crowd around the cup on the ice in Istanbul, medals hung round their necks, all in the team’s purple jerseys.
A second shows the squad lining up in front of the Istanbul Cup wall before a game, with sticks, gloves and skates all in place for the photograph. A third catches one of the Galaxy Warriors goalies, mask on, at the tournament.
The academy has published the full results and a short write-up on its tournament page, and says more photos and video from the trip are available.
A busy run for UAE sport
Young Dubai athletes are collecting results elsewhere too. Junior karters from Ignite GP won two classes and a podium at the Rotax UAE Al Ain Invitational, and UAE-based paddlers took silver at the 2026 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships.
For more on the UAE sporting calendar this season, see our Sport Season 2026 guide, or browse more sports stories.
Galaxy Warriors at the Istanbul Cup: Details
- When: 15 to 17 October 2026
- Where: Istanbul, Turkey
- Result: U11 gold and U13 silver for Galaxy Hockey Academy, Dubai
- Learn more: glxyhockey.com/tournament-istanbul-2026
- Instagram: @galaxy_sport_club
Image: courtesy of Galaxy Hockey Academy.