Players of Shaanxi and Hong Kong, China vie for the puck during the junior men's ice hockey quarterfinal match at the 14th National Winter Games in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Feb 24, 2024. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

HULUN BUIR, China - Traveling across a 50 degrees Celsius temperature difference from south to northeast China, young ice hockey players of Hong Kong, China enjoyed the journey at the 14th National Winter Games in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

After a 3-0 loss to Shaanxi on Saturday, Hong Kong failed to reach the Games' junior men's ice hockey semifinal.

"We tried our best on the rink thousands of kilometers away from Hong Kong and felt satisfied with our overall performance," said 15-year-old Tim Cheng.

Although Cheng had been suffering with a shoulder injury, he didn't want to miss the opportunity to participate in the Games. "Now I have recovered from the injury and gained valuable experience in high-level competitions," he said.

Zheng Pit-hing (left) of Hong Kong, China controls the puck during the junior men's ice hockey quarterfinal match at the 14th National Winter Games in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Feb 24, 2024. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

In a group match against Jilin on Tuesday, Cheng scored twice for Hong Kong in five minutes and led the team to a confidence-boosting 9-3 victory.

Cheng's mother Michelle Chan also came from Hong Kong to support her son and the team. "Tim started to play ice hockey at the age of six. He loves playing football as well, which helps him to improve his passing and sense of space on the court. He is making progress step by step."

"At the current stage, I need to balance my studies and sports, which are equally important for me," Cheng noted. "I believe the ice hockey will be my lifelong hobby and I hope to experience international events in the future."

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Goaltender David Lam Tsz-wing of Hong Kong, China vies for the puck during the junior men's ice hockey quarterfinal match at the 14th National Winter Games in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Feb 24, 2024. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

For teammate David Lam, the high-quality ice rink in Hulun Buir, where the Games' ice hockey matches were staged, impressed him a lot.

"This is my first time to visit Hulun Buir. The ice rink here is slightly harder than that of Hong Kong, which makes me feel faster," Lam said. "I have played together with many of the Hong Kong players since childhood."

Hong Kong has a warm climate, but ice hockey is a popular sport among the youth. According to team leader Mike Kan, players were selected from the public, and the teams in various age groups from U7 to U17 were formed with regular training sessions every week.

Hong Kong coach Leo Kan said, "The junior group of the National Winter Games provided a platform for young players to compete with their peers nationwide and learn from each other."

Liu Xincheng (left) of Hong Kong, China vies for the puck with Zhou Zishen of Shaanxi during the junior men's ice hockey quarterfinal match at the 14th National Winter Games in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Feb 24, 2024. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

As the players come from different schools, Hong Kong only had two training sessions in advance of Games, but the players managed to significantly improve the transition between offense and defense.

"I'm really proud of them," said Leo Kan, who played for Hong Kong in the last two editions of the Games before becoming a junior team coach. "The organization, facilities and medical services are even better this time."

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"The most important achievement for the young players is to show themselves in the national event, rather than the result itself," Leo Kan noted. "I hope more ice hockey talents in Hong Kong can be inspired to chase their own dreams."