Int'l ice hockey event sees the sport's rise in China

TIANJIN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- For Fedin Ilya, the Russian coach of Beijing 3A Star ice hockey team, an international ice hockey tournament recently held in north China's Tianjin bore witness to the sport's development in the country.

The seven-day junior ice hockey tournament attracted 49 teams from China, Russia, Thailand, and Canada, with participants ranging from eight to 14 years old.

"I saw my young kids skate and play without fear, and the team cooperation is becoming more and more excellent," said Ilya, who moved to China five years ago and worked as a coach for several youth ice hockey teams in Beijing.

Abramov Sergeit, coach of Russia's SKIF'S TEAM 2014, praised his Chinese opponents, saying, "We have to admit that the team coached by Ilya has a high tactical level." He added, "We have learned a lot of skills and accumulated a lot of practical experience in the competition."

China isn't known as an ice hockey powerhouse, but the popularity of ice hockey has been on the rise in the country amid a government campaign to engage some 300 million people in winter sports leading up to the 2022 Winter Olympics. Hundreds of ice rinks and ski resorts have been built across the country in just a few years, and numerous youth ice hockey competitions are held nationwide.

Ilya noted that China's efforts are bearing fruit, as Chinese kids are taking up the sport in record numbers. For instance, Liu Zhaohe, captain of the team, has trained under Ilya for three years and said, "My tactics and skills have improved rapidly under his guidance."

Ilya is confident that China will become more competitive in the future. He stated, "As some shortcomings of the young players have also been exposed, we will continue to polish their skills and prepare for the competitions in the following tournaments."