With the aim of selecting and training ice hockey talents across borders and across sports, the General Administration of Sport has decided to add the roller hockey sport, one event for men and one for women, to the 13th National Games. The action is in preparation for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Ice Hockey, once a winter sport, will be added to the National Games for the first time. Previously, it was only a sport at the Winter National Games.

As everyone knows, the National Games has so far been held 12 times. The Games to be held in Tianjin next September will be the 13th National Games. The Winter National Games have also been held 13 times. In the first four National Games, sports included summer sports, winter sports, military sports and national sports. Starting from the 5th National Games, in preparation for the Summer Olympics, the sports included in the National Games gradually moved into line with the sports in the Summer Olympics. The National Games no longer hold competitions for winter sports. Instead, the winter sports are listed in a separate National Winter Games. 

Later, from the 7th National Games, some of the winter sports were included in the Games again, to promote the development of winter sports and implement the project of "Ice Sports in North China and the Ice Exhibition in South China.” Short-track speed skating and speed skating were added at the 7th National Games, figure skating at the 8th Games, and freestyle skiing at the 11th Games. In this latest development, this year's 13th Games will add roller hockey to its sports list.

Source: Sports Money

Proofread by Sean O Diobhilin