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Newly-elected International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Vice President Aivaz Omorkanov is in the Chinese capital for the Olympic test events which consists of four teams from Beijing.
He voiced hopes that Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games would promote the sport in China as the "Experience Beijing" test event for ice hockey opened earlier this week with fewer than 100 days to go until the Beijing Games.
Omorkanov, who was a former national ice hockey player in Kyrgyzstan, was elected as regional vice-president Asia and Oceania in September 2021. At the age of 25, he is the IIHF's youngest ever council member.
"The main purpose of the test event is to check the venues, to build good environment, to build good conditions for the players, for the game officials, for the staff, so the Winter Olympic Games will be in perfect condition," said Omorkanov on Tuesday at the Wukesong Sports Center, which will host the Olympic ice hockey tournament in February.
"We can clearly see that in general everything is good, but there are some small areas that need to be improved."
"I studied in Beijing for almost seven years and I love China, I love Chinese people, I love Chinese culture and I'm so happy to be back," said Omorkanov, who majored international economics and trade at the Beijing University of International Business and Economics.
"I hope that we will use the chance to promote the ice hockey game in China."
Kunlun Red Star's Sam Hu (R) and CSKA Moscow's Semyon Lugovyak fight for the puck during the KHL regular season match in Moscow, Russia, October 4, 2021. /CFP
Four local teams from Beijing are competing at the test event, and Omorkanov said he could see the development of junior ice hockey in China.
Currently, members of the Chinese men's and women's national ice hockey teams are playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) as part of the Kunlun Red Star club.
"Definitely it will help to promote and grow the game in China because Chinese people can see that there is ice hockey in a high level in the KHL league, and also in the women's league as well," Omorkanov said.
Omorkanov is confident that the test event can help preparation for the Games.
The IIHF confirmed China's place in the men's ice hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics in Beijing last week.
The Kunlun Red Star is a KHL club founded in Beijing in 2016 with the ambition to improve the level of Chinese men's hockey ahead of Winter Games in 2022. The club has won six out of their 26 games this season and is currently in last place in the league.
China has been drawn with Canada, the U.S. and Germany in Group A of the men's competition at Beijing 2022, which will be played at the National Indoor Stadium and Wukesong Sports Center in February 2022.
Source(s):CGTN
