Speeding across the ice, Terry Ng Tsz-him, 7, slams the puck into the net. The Primary One student is one of dozens of Hong Kong Academy of Ice Hockey (HKAIH) members who train at the Dragon Centre Sky Rink in Sham Shui Po.
Attracted by the speed and excitement of the sport, Terry took up ice hockey three years ago. He explains his winning tactics: 'You have to maintain your balance and keep the hockey stick still. Your legs have to work hard to propel your body forwards while chasing the puck.'
While many young western players are well-built, Norman Chin, head hockey coach at MegaIce, Kowloon Bay, says Asian children's slighter figures need not be a disadvantage.
'Unlike western hockey where 'checking', or using physical contact, is allowed to overcome an opponent, the games played here prohibit intentional physical contact.
'Rather than brute physical force, the sport requires team work, agility and strategic thinking. Some of the best players in Hong Kong are small,' he says.
As play can be rough, players have to take precautions. Elliott Chiu Hiu-tung, 9, explains how he protects himself: 'We play with full protective gear: shin and shoulder pads, helmet, hockey gloves and so on. When I know I'm about to fall, I slump forward [to break my fall].'