China Ice Hockey College has launched a selection program to identify and develop ice hockey talents, no matter whether the candidates have undergone ice hockey training or not. 

As the China Sports Daily reported, this action is with the purpose of cultivating more ice hockey talent for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, as well as exploring a sports youth training system combining education and training.  

The China Sports Daily also reported that this program is for young players aged from 14 to 16. Qualified players can register as students in the High School affiliated to the Beijing Sports University (BSU) and will receive regular academic education. After finishing their high school studies, players who meet the requirements can enrol in the BSU for further study. 

In terms of these players’ ice hockey training, the China Ice Hockey College will also recruit elite ice hockey coaches from both China and other countries, in order to offer  high-quality ice hockey training courses to those players. 

Xu Chengxiang, Deputy Director of the Chinese Ice Hockey Association (HINA), presented the future of these players to the China Sports Daily. 

According to Xu, although only some of these players can become members of the China National Ice Hockey Team, players who “graduate” from these selection programs will be competent for a wide range of ice hockey careers – ice hockey coaches, referees, physical training instructors, physical therapists and even event and facilities management. 

Jointly founded by the HINA and BSU, the China Ice Hockey College is a subsidiary college of BSU. According to the China Sports Daily, the College includes programs at high-school and university level. Students who enter this College should firstly have finished their high-school level education in the College, so that they can enter the university after sitting the university matriculation examinations.  

Source: China Sports Daily 

Proofread by Raymond Fitzpatrick