ZURICH – Over the next two days, hundreds of young women around the globe will be picking up hockey sticks and lacing up skates to take part in the annual IIHF World Girls‘ Ice Hockey Weekend.
2015 will mark the fifth year of the event, and will involve thousands of participants in over 30 different countries. The aim of the World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend is to offer an opportunity for girls of all ages to try ice hockey. The IIHF coordinates with local hosts, which can range from national associations to professional and amateur leagues, local club teams, and parents, to organize events that get girls onto the ice so that they can:
- be introduced to basic skills in hockey in a positive, fun and safe environment
- learn about opportunities in ice hockey in their community
- learn about fair play, sportsmanship, and teamwork
- meet new friends and have a chance to fall in love with a new sport
The WGIHW has grown every year since its inception, and now has established annual events in countries like Argentina, Japan, Malaysia, Spain, and Turkey to name a few. In the United States alone, over 140 events are being held across the country. Some of new nations joining the weekend include Greece, Lithuania, Morocco, Indonesia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
The 2015 WGIHW will add a new wrinkle to the festivities with the introduction of the Global Girls’ Game, a massive undertaking that will involve 29 different countries split into a “Team Blue” and a “Team White” who will play a weekend-long game. The game will start early Saturday morning in Dunedin, New Zealand, and from there the puck goes to Australia, Japan and further west to battle for the global winner and the aggregate score until the last puck drop on Sunday in Montreal, Canada.
The score will be tracked on IIHF.com, along with reports, photos, and videos from the Global Girls’ Game and other events in the World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend.
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ADAM STEISS
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