Hong Kong should consider entering a team in the Chinese Ice Hockey League if it is serious about growing the game in the city, one of the game’s top officials said.
With several world championships being held across Hong Kong this month and next, Aivaz Omorkanov, vice president of the International Ice Hockey Federation for Asia and Oceania, told the South China Morning Post that facing a higher level of competition could quickly improve the standard.
In an interview during a short stop in the city for the Men’s Under-18, Group A tournament in Discovery Bay, Omorkanov also said his organization had to adapt to attract the next generation of players and fans.
“If Hong Kong can work closely with the Chinese Ice Hockey Association, maybe even create a cross-border league or have one club participate there, it will help a lot,” Omorkanov said. “China is playing at the highest level in the world and that exposure could raise Hong Kong’s level very quickly.”
Omorkanov pointed to other successful regional partnerships as examples: the Japan-Korea Asian League, which has produced teams competing at the Division I level in the world, and the new Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan cross-border competition that has already improved standards.
Hong Kong’s men and women play in Group B of the third and second tier, respectively, and the city will host the World Championships from March 30 to April 19.
