Chinese Hockey Team Going All Out For the 2022 Winter Olympics
In less than three years from the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, China’s ice sports teams are getting ready for the big event. For China’s male and female ice hockey teams who have already obtained the qualifications for the Olympics, there is still loads of pressure for competition. This year China’s ice hockey team is taking multiple approaches, striving to achieve an outstanding performance for men’s ice hockey, and the medal-winning goal for women’s ice hockey.
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Overseas training
Since October last year, the Chinese Ice Hockey Association has sent 6 teams to strong ice hockey countries like Finland and the Czech Republic for overseas training. The teams have come back to China successively as of late. Xu Chengxiang, executive deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Ice Hockey Association, said, “Overseas trainings have excelled in terms of methodology and arrangements, but still we need to go through the verification of competitions.”
The “small test” of the results of overseas trainings would be the national ice hockey championship scheduled in May this year. According to the official notice of the Chinese Ice Hockey Association, this year’s ice hockey championship will continue to be held in Beijing. The game is expected to open for registration at the end of March. Xu Chengsheng said, “According to the arrangements of the General Administration of Sport, all relevant plans shall follow the pace of preparation for the Winter Olympics, so this year’s championship will have to wait until the teams returned from overseas trainings.”
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At present, China Women’s Ice Hockey team is at the level of Division I Group B of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). This year’s IIHF Women’s Ice Hockey World Championships Division I Group B will be held in Beijing from April 6th to 12th. This is also the highest rank of IIHF event that the Chinese Ice Hockey National Team can currently participate.
Featured photo credit to 视觉中国