By outdoor-nature-child.com On October 12, the opening ceremony of the 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Ice Hockey Tournament took place at the Harbin Ice Hockey Arena. In the inaugural match, the Shenzhen Kunlun Hongxing Ice Hockey Club triumphed over Kazakhstan’s AHL Almaty team, famed as the “Eagles of Central Asia,” with a score of 3-1.
The special event kicked off with Olympic champion Wu Qing performing the ceremonial puck drop. Just 3 minutes and 32 seconds into the game, Almaty struck first with a beautifully executed play, featuring number 21, Jenis, scoring the opening goal. However, the momentum shifted in the 5th minute when number 5, Aziz-Muzafarov of Almaty, was penalized for 2 minutes, giving the Shenzhen team a temporary manpower advantage. They capitalized on this opportunity, and just before the first period ended, number 81, Yu Jilong, equalized the score.
As the game progressed, both teams exchanged offensive plays. In the 43:56 mark, Shenzhen’s number 10, Yang Boshuo, scored to put his team ahead. By the time the clock read 55:28, number 66, Zhu Yunhan, sealed the deal with a final goal, bringing the score to 3-1.
After the match, Wang Siting, the team leader of Shenzhen Kunlun Hongxing, expressed his excitement, saying, “The fans today were incredible. This was the most electrifying atmosphere we’ve experienced, energizing the team immensely.”
On the other side, Almaty’s head coach, Peter Ilizarov, reflected on the loss with disappointment, stating, “It’s unfortunate to lose the game. Our opponents were very strong today. We’ll review our performance and aim to come back victorious in the next match to reward our passionate supporters.”
Earlier on the same day, another match saw the Primorsky Krai ice hockey team from Russia dominate over the Kyrgyz Eagle team with a score of 22-6. The tournament has drawn significant attention from international fans, with 5,400 spectators filling the Harbin Ice Hockey Arena to capacity.
Upcoming matches include another showdown on October 13, featuring the Primorsky Krai ice hockey team against Kazakhstan’s AHL Almaty team and the Shenzhen Kunlun Hongxing facing the Kyrgyz Eagles.
This tournament is a significant event within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, supported by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Friendly Cooperation Committee and the Foreign Affairs Office of Heilongjiang Provincial Government, with the Chinese Ice Hockey Association, Heilongjiang Sports Bureau, and Harbin Municipal Government as the main organizers.