The Asian Winter Games got under way in Harbin on Monday with Olympic champions taking part in the torch relay outside, and the ice hockey competition getting the action started indoors.
There were mixed fortunes for the Hong Kong’s athletes, and while the men comfortably dispatched their Macau counterparts 26-1 in Group C, the women were beaten 12-0 by Kazakhstan in their first game in Group B.
Forward Maxwell Tong Wai-hin led Hong Kong’s scoring at Harbin Ice Hockey Arena, finishing the game with seven goals and four assists for an 11 point game, while Bryan Tang weighed in with five goals and six assists of his own.
With points coming from all parts of the team, even defender Ryan Lee Yuen-chong got in on the fun, scoring twice and conjuring up two assists. Macau’s lone goal was scored by forward Argus Hong Lat-hei.
In the day’s other games, there were two matches in men’s Group B, with Kyrgyzstan narrowly beating Kuwait 9-8, and Singapore running over Bahrain 20-1.
Before Hong Kong’s women took to the ice, their Group B rivals, Thailand and Chinese Taipei battled it out at Harbin Sport University Student Skating Hall, with the latter running out 4-1 winners.
