China's Hong Kong edges Singapore in Ice Hockey World Championship

SARAJEVO, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong of China clinched a 7-6 victory over Singapore on Thursday in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) capital Sarajevo where six teams are competing in the 2023 Ice Hockey World Championship Division III Group B.

Ji Ping, the Chinese ambassador to BiH, watched the match and greeted the players afterward. "I have witnessed your fighting spirit and watched you catch up step by step," Ji said.

Guan Wanyi, the manager of China's Hong Kong ice hockey team, said the ambassador's arrival made all players feel very warm inside. "China is in our hearts," she said.

The Bosnian team also played on Thursday, scoring 9-2 against Iran.

Nine Group B games have already been played with remaining six games scheduled on Friday and Sunday.

So far, BiH ranks fifth in Group B, ahead of the Malaysian team, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).

Kyrgyzstan leads the group with nine points, Hong Kong is ranked second with six points, followed by Singapore and Iran with four and three points respectively.

The Ice Hockey World Championships are the sport's highest-profile annual men's ice hockey international tournaments organized by the IIHF. This year's Championship gathers 56 teams competing in five divisions in Finland, Latvia, Britain, Estonia, Spain, Türkiye, South Africa, BiH and Mongolia.