Dear players, parents, other sports organizations and clubs, rink management, coaches and supporters of our beloved sport;
My name is Sherman Chan and I am delighted to step into the role of Chairman of the esteemed Hong Kong, China Ice Hockey Association (“HKIHA”).
First and foremost, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you for all your past support to HKIHA and hope you provide your continued support moving forward.
We are excited to see the increasing popularity and awareness of ice hockey in Hong Kong. This has also been fuelled by the significant achievement of our U18 Men’s National Team gold medal win in the World Championship (Division III Group B) at Cape Town, South Africa earlier this year in March and the Women’s National Team championship in the Group A of the Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Division III in Romania last spring. This remarkable success undoubtedly shows the commitment, talent and potential of our players in Hong Kong!
As the newly appointed Chairman, I am committed to working tirelessly alongside our dedicated Executive Committee members, local community and coaches to develop the future of Hong Kong ice hockey with the ambition of elevating our players and teams to even more ambitious achievements by improving the standings of our national teams. Concurrently my other goals are to grow this sport, promote the value of teamwork, sportsmanship, and fair play in our hockey community. With the end objective of up tiering Hong Kong’s National Team’s ranking.
Recent events and future outlook
In the upcoming season, the immediate focus will be on the Youth National Team development program and training. By so doing provide the next generation of players a comprehensive platform to grow and develop in the right environment at high standards.
The Youth National Team program will not only cover on ice training, but also incorporates physical training (dry land), video analysis, nutritional planning and mental performance training with the goal of developing our players into standards comparable to high level international play. Full contact hockey would be one of the key areas of focus in the program. This will enable our players to compete internationally.
The selection of players for our adults and youth National Team program will be chosen from a selection committee, this includes a group of external program advisors, head coach and coaches.
The short- and medium-term goal will be the development of our U15/U18/U20 men’s and women’s programs and to prepare for the upcoming Asia Winter Games in February 2025, the U18 World Champion game in March 2025 and the 15th China Winter Olympic for the U15s in 2028.
We will also strive to bring in coaches and external advisors from around the globe to keep our program at competitive standards and allow our players to learn how best to grow their mindset for international play. We are thrilled about the upcoming event working with BK hockey Canada’s head instructor Steve Baek for an edge work skating camp coming early September. Steve has been a former professional hockey player and has coached and trained players worldwide include current players from professional leagues of NHL, AHL, OHL etc…
As Chairman, I pledge to lead my team with integrity, transparency, and fairness. We are committed to comply to the corporate governance set by Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China.
I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you, hearing your ideas, and working together to ensure the sustainability and success of our association and the future of Hong Kong ice hockey！
Sherman Chan