With the aim of promoting women’s hockey in Asia and strengthening regional collaboration, the Chinese Ice Hockey Association (CIHA) has successfully organized the 2018 IIHF Asian Women’s Training Camp in Beijing from 6 to 12 August 2018.

The training camp, which was held in conjunction with the Chinese Ice Hockey Junior Draft Camp at Beijing Hongao Ice Sports Development Centre, was a youth activity guided by the Youth Sport Department of the General Administration of Sport of China, sponsored by CIHA and fully supported by the IIHF.

A total of 58 girls and 12 coaches from 9 IIHF Member National Associations took part in the Training Camp and it was an invaluable opportunity for Asian coaches and players to get together to exchange ideas and renew friendship. All participants have benefitted a lot from the three experienced and inspiring IIHF Instructors, namely Marius Gliga, Jesse Kuusela and Dave Caruso, as well as the experience sharing among the participants. They learnt not only skills and techniques, but are inspired and motivated to further pursue to make contribution to the development of ice hockey in their homeland as well as Asia. The training camp is also an important step for CIHA to nurture ice hockey talents and enhance the competitiveness of their junior ice hockey players.

As the Asian Strategic Planning Group (ASPG) meeting was held concurrently in Beijing, the ASPG members were invited to the closing ceremony of the camp and presented prizes and awards to the selected athletes and coaches with outstanding performance.

Among the guests from 13 countries was IIHF Vice President Thomas Wu, IIHF Sports Development Manager Andy Ecker, CIHA Deputy Secretary-General Wang Chunlu, Si Liang and Hong Bin of the CIHA Foreign Affairs Department and Chi Defu, Manager of the Hongao Ice Sports Development Center.

“It is an event beautifully put together by the CIHA with the support of various stakeholders, including the IIHF, the Asian Member National Associations and the hard working volunteers. Congratulation to the host and all participants for their achievements. We would like to continue the collaboration between the IIHF and CIHA for the benefit of Hockey in Asia, IIHF Vice President Thomas Wu said at the closing ceremony of the camp.

– with files from the Chinese Ice Hockey Association