The men's youth ice hockey competition at the 14th National Winter Games (hereinafter referred to as "14th Winter") is in full swing. The Hong Kong team defeated the Tianjin team 4:1 in the first game and the Jilin team 9:3 in the second game, winning two consecutive group stage victories. . When the final whistle blew, the players hugged each other excitedly to celebrate.
"The players played very well, and everyone gave full play to their abilities." Team leader Jian Yangjie said bluntly after the game that he did not expect the team to win in the first game. "I am very happy to play in such a beautiful stadium. I hope the children can gain more experience." , and then achieve better results in the international arena."
In the first game, captain Wang Zanlin, who plays the role of forward, performed well and scored two goals. Although he is only 15 years old, he has been playing basketball for more than 10 years. "I think ice hockey is a very passionate sport and it particularly attracts me." When talking about ice hockey, the young man's eyes are full of confidence. "I said before that I was a player born for big scenes. Many teammates laughed at me and said that we couldn't win this game. But before the game, I told my teammates that we must win and believe in ourselves. We finally did it. very happy!"
At this Winter Games, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent a delegation of 70 people to participate in three events: ice hockey, figure skating and alpine skiing. Liu Zhen, deputy director of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and leader of the "14th Winter" Hong Kong delegation, said in an interview with reporters, "Although Hong Kong does not snow and does not have such a good venue environment, in recent years We have made considerable progress in developing ice and snow sports.”
Hong Kong sent a delegation to the Winter Games for the first time in 1999 and has participated in six events so far. At the 13th National Winter Games in 2016, Hong Kong team player Liang Yi won the bronze medal in women's single figure skating. This was also the first Winter Games medal won by a Hong Kong athlete.
Being able to gain victory in the "Fourteenth Winter" competition also made the members of the Hong Kong team more confident. "Our goal is to reach the top four," Wang Zanlin and his teammates said in unison after winning the "good start".
Liu Zhen, who watched the team's game live, also wished the boys better results. At the same time, he expressed the hope that by participating in the "14th Winter", more Hong Kong people will become interested in ice and snow sports, deepen their knowledge and understanding of ice and snow sports, and further create a strong atmosphere for people to participate in ice and snow sports.
In 2025, the 15th National Games will be held in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau. "When we came to Hulunbuir, we felt full of enthusiasm, and the arrangements of the organizing committee were perfect." Liu Zhen said, "We also hope to take every opportunity to learn from different provinces, regions and cities about their experience in hosting large-scale sports games." ( People's Daily reporter Hu Xuerong)