Hong Kong's young ice hockey players showed vigor and passion at the 14th National Winter Games in China.
Hulun Buil, China, February 26 (Xinhua) Hong Kong's young ice hockey players cross a temperature difference of 50 degrees Celsius from southern China to northeast China to compete in the 14th National Winter Games held in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. I enjoyed my trip to the tournament. .
Hong Kong failed to advance to the Olympic junior men's ice hockey semi-finals after losing 3-0 to Shaanxi on Saturday.
15-year-old Tim Chen said, “I tried my best on a rink thousands of kilometers from Hong Kong and was satisfied with my overall performance.''
Although Chen was suffering from a shoulder injury, he did not want to miss the opportunity to participate in the Olympics. “I have now recovered from my injury and was able to gain valuable experience in high-level competition,” he said.
In Tuesday's group game against Jilin, Chen scored two goals in five minutes for Hong Kong, leading his team to a confidence-boosting 9-3 victory.
Chen's mother, Michelle Chan, also traveled from Hong Kong to support her son and the team. “Tim started playing ice hockey at the age of six. He also loves soccer, which has helped him improve his passing and spatial awareness on the court. He is progressing step by step.”
“At this stage, I need to balance studies and sports, which are equally important to me,” Chen said. “I believe that ice hockey will become a lifelong hobby of mine, and I would like to experience international events in the future.”
For teammate David Lamb, the quality of Hulunbuir's ice rink, where the Olympic ice hockey matches were held, made a big impression on him.
Lam said, “This is my first time visiting Hulun Beier.The ice rink here is a little harder than the one in Hong Kong, so it feels faster.'' “I have played with many Hong Kong players since I was a child.”
Despite Hong Kong's warm climate, ice hockey is a popular sport among young people. Team leader Mike Kang said the players were selected from the public and formed into teams of various age groups, from U7 to U17, who trained regularly every week.
“The junior group at the National Winter Games provided an opportunity for our young athletes to compete with their peers from all over the country and learn from each other,” said Hong Kong coach Leo Kang.
Due to the players coming from different schools, Hong Kong only practiced twice before the match, but the players were able to significantly improve their switching between attack and defense.
“I'm really proud of them,” said Leo Kang, who represented Hong Kong in the past two tournaments before becoming the junior team coach. “This time, the organization, equipment and medical services are even better.”
“The most important achievement for young players is not the result itself, but to show themselves at the national tournament,'' Leo Kang pointed out. “We hope that more ice hockey talents in Hong Kong will be inspired to pursue their dreams.” –
