China showcased a powerful performance by defeating Kazakhstan 5-0 in their inaugural game at the first-ever International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Ice Hockey Women’s Asia Championship held at Beijing’s Shougang Park on Thursday.
The home crowd erupted when Qu Yue scored just 56 seconds into the game, setting the tone for China’s dominant display. Teammates Zhang Biyang and Fang Xin added two more goals in the first period, giving China a commanding 3-0 lead.
Maintaining their momentum, the hosts extended their advantage with additional goals in the second and third periods, sealing a comprehensive victory. China’s captain Yu Baiwei expressed her satisfaction with the team’s performance, saying, “It was a good start for our team. Young players made goals and assists in this high-level event to gain experience and confidence.”
Looking ahead, Yu added, “We are looking forward to competing with Japan and other great teams, which can help us tap our potential. The whole team will fight to the end.”
In the other match of the day, Japan overpowered South Korea with a staggering 12-0 win. Japan, ranked seventh in the world, demonstrated their prowess by scoring two early goals within the first six minutes and adding seven more in the second period.
The tournament, featuring four teams, sees Japan as the highest-ranked participant, followed by China in 12th place. The competition will continue on Saturday with China facing South Korea and Japan taking on Kazakhstan.
Notably, the ice hockey venue at Shougang Park, which was transformed to host the World Table Tennis China Smash just a month ago, is also home to the Big Air Shougang—a venue from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
