Published: 09:20, February 6, 2025
Kyrgyzstan, S. Korea remain unbeaten in ice hockey at Asian Winter Games
By Xinhua
Hou Yuyang (center front) of China vies for the puck with Alikhan Omirbekov (center back) of Kazakhstan during the men's ice hockey Group A match at the Asian Winter Game in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, on Feb 5, 2025. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

HARBIN - Asia's top two seeds remained unbeaten in the men's ice hockey Group A at the Harbin Asian Winter Games, with South Korea defeating Chinese Taipei and Kyrgyzstan cruising past China on Wednesday.

South Korea, ranked second in Asia, eased to a dominant 14-1 victory over world No. 40 Chinese Taipei. Kong Yu-chan put South Korea ahead in the 6th minute, with six other players contributing to a remarkable nine-goal haul in the first two periods.

The third period saw South Korea's Nam Hee-doo score just 22 seconds in, but Chinese Taipei's 19-year-old Peng Mo responded with a historic goal, marking the team's first-ever goal at the Harbin Asian Winter Games.

Despite a heavy 15-0 loss to Japan the previous day, Peng expressed his joy and gratitude to the crowd.

"It's unexpected to have such a supportive audience for our team. I'm happy to have the opportunity to score against a dominant team like South Korea," he said, adding "It's a precious experience for me. I'll do my best in the next match and enjoy every moment in Harbin."

Later on Wednesday, Kazakhstan, the top-ranked team in Asia, displayed remarkable offensive power, netting an impressive six-goal streak. China's Zhang Pengfei pulled one back, with the match finishing 6-1.

"We still have a gap with Kazakhstan, but I'm happy we were able to score. I'd like to thank my teammates for their teamwork. This is my first time participating in the Asian Winter Games, and having it held at home makes it even more meaningful," Zhang said.

READ MORE: Kyrgyzstan wins in ice hockey opening match at Harbin Asian Winter Games

In other men's matches, Kuwait defeated Singapore 10-3, Japan overwhelmed Thailand 8-1, Kyrgyzstan dominated Bahrain 29-0, Hong Kong, China swept past India 30-0, and Turkmenistan beat Macao, China 26-0.