Hockey in China: Beijing 2022 Games drawing more Chinese to Winter sports

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Beijing will host the Winter Olympics in 2022, and more people in China are warming up to sports in the cold. The country is competitive in winter sports such as skiing, ice-skating, and curling. But nearly nobody sees the country as a powerhouse in the sport of ice-hockey. Is that all about to change? CGTN's Grace Shao has this report.

While hockey had a rather limited following in China down through the years, the emergence of the first Chinese-born player, Song Andong in North America's National Hockey League was a major turning point for the sport in the country.

Suddenly China's young sports fans had a new hero to support and, as it usually goes, many wanted to become professional hockey players when they grew older.

The dramatic turn-around was very obvious at a traditional pond hockey tournament in Beijing recently which drew teams from all around China to compete for the title in rather elaborate uniforms.

CURTIS DRACZ CANLIFE "It was all about bringing the Canadian lifestyle to China. With the focus on ice hockey and you can tell at the event here today. It's much more than just the sport, it's about the lifestyle. You know the reason why we invite so many teams across China, is just to connect the community a little bit. We have a growing number of Chinese players."

GRACE SHAO BEIJING "The fun here on the ice is a testament to the growing popularity of hockey in China. Just ten years ago the sport was not even televised in China, and it was often played on a pond or lake. Now, with a growing demand for organized and professional training, hockey in China is expanding and evolving."

JOE ZHANG CHINESE ICE-HOCKEY ENTHUSIAST "I started playing when I was 4 years old, my dad gave me a stick and put me on a frozen pond, that's how it all started. I think all the winter sports are becoming more popular because hockey is passion and hockey is about teamwork."

Joe said, when he was growing up, there were only two ice-rinks suitable for advanced hockey players. But since China was granted the 2022 Winter Olympics two years ago, many sports -- including ice-hockey -- saw a real pick-up in interest.

Now, in Beijing alone, there are about 25-hundred youngsters learning the game. They're signed up with 17 clubs and play on 14 rinks across the city.

MIKE KUSY MANAGER & COACH, TIGER CLUB "When you go to hockey practice it is not just to be involved one-on-one with your coach but a teamwork atmosphere. What you're learning is how to play with your team but also adversity and the ups and downs of the sport."

Physically and mentally rewarding and definitely character building. Though still lagging behind countries like Canada or Sweden in professional training, ice hockey is seeing some real growth in Beijing and is showing huge potential. But some are concerned that the costs associated with the sport make it a rather exclusive one.

Q'S MOM CONCERNED PARENT "My son has played hockey for four years now, it is about 60 thousand yuan per year, that's only for the classes. Also we need to update his equipment every year, for example, the stick is about 1,000 yuan."

However, Q's mom was also quick to point out that she's happy to give her son this gift. It's a sport which teaches youngsters about the values of dedication, discipline and, most importantly, the value of teamwork.

With the 2022 Winter Olympics only a few years away, China is looking to groom champions. And as for the International Ice Hockey Federation, finding hockey's very own Yao Ming could be a huge turning point for that as well. Grace Shao, CGTN.