A three-day ice hockey game among members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), including China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, will kick off on Saturday in northeast China's Harbin City.

The four teams will stage six matches on a single round-robin schedule in the Harbin Ice Hockey Arena, which previously served as a venue during the 1996 Asian Winter Games.

Viewers are expected to see some strong line-ups from each team, including the home team Shenzhen Kunlun Red Star and the Almaty Hockey League from Kazakhstan.

The game is part of the winter sports exchanges among SCO members.

The SCO is an inter-governmental organization established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to promote regional peace and development. It now has nine member states, three observer states and 14 dialogue partners.

Its 2024 summit was held in July in Astana, Kazakhstan, and China will host next year's meeting.

(Cover image via CFP)