Tip of the ICEberg

Few would dispute that football is a popular sport in Hong Kong. Yet with literally hundreds of football pitches around Hong Kong, there is still unmet demand for football facilities. Imagine other up-and-coming sports with more specific venue requirements…

Ice hockey, for example. With over 1,300 active players and growing.

Ice sports probably suffer more acutely from the lack of facilities in Hong Kong. Thomas Wu, Vice-President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) for the Asia/Oceania region, agrees. “One of the biggest challenges we face when promoting the sport of ice hockey in subtropical Asia is facility – indoor ice rinks, to be precise. Beginners may start off with in-line hockey or training on synthetic rinks but as they progress, they will need access to the ice. For high-level training and competitions, there is, unfortunately, no substitute for real ice”

“Ice time in Hong Kong is probably the most expensive in the world according to IIHF information. Not exactly a record for Hong Kong to be proud of”

“All the ice rinks in Hong Kong are commercially owned. Even though rink operators are very supportive of the sport, they are under pressure to operate under commercial principles. Securing sufficient ice time for ice hockey training at reasonable rates and hours has always been a challenge”

There are currently 6 commercial ice rinks in Hong Kong, 5 of which are located inside shopping malls. Of these 5, only 4 allow ice hockey to be played and only 1 of them meets the minimum dimensions of a standard international-size ice rink fit for staging international ice hockey competitions. Supporting rink facilities such as changing rooms, facility rooms and spectator stands are absent.

“Considering the shortage of ice time in Hong Kong, the ice hockey community has been exceptionally resourceful and hardworking over the years in making the best of what we have in promoting the sport. Despite ice time constraints, we are seeing continuous growth in player numbers, especially among youths”, said Wu, who also founded the Hong Kong Academy of Ice Hockey.