Chen Siqi

vankochensq@163.com

THE 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Division I Group A will take place at the Shenzhen Universiade Center in Longgang District from Aug. 20 to 26.

Approximately 350 players from six countries will compete at the tournament, Chen Qiang, secretary-general of the Chinese Ice Hockey Association, announced at a press conference Wednesday.

Denmark, Norway, Slovakia, Austria, China and the Netherlands will participate in the tournament consisting of 15 matches, vying for gold and the chance to be promoted to the top level.

The Chinese team returns to Division I Group A for the first time in 11 years, after beating host Poland during the 2022 Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship, providing China the opportunity to host the 2023 Division I Group A tournament.

Leading up to the tournament, international players will undergo training at the air film hall of the Shenzhen Kunlun Red Star ice hockey club from Aug. 14 to 19.

“Most players on the 23-member Chinese team are from the Shenzhen Kunlun Red Star ice hockey club,” He Jianhui, deputy director-general of the Shenzhen Municipal Culture, Television, Radio, Tourism and Sports Bureau, said at the press briefing.

The club is China’s first professional hockey club, which was founded in Longgang District in 2017. It sent 16 ice hockey players to the national team in 2022.

Shenzhen has been vigorously promoting ice and snow sports. In Bao’an District, the Huafa ice and snow sporting venue, covering a floor area of approximately 100,000 square meters, is currently under construction and set to open in November 2025. Upon completion, it will be the world’s largest indoor skiing park.

The city is also promoting ice and snow sports in schools and will hold events and give out coupons to encourage more people to get involved.