On October 12, the opening ceremony of the 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Ice Hockey Competition took place at the Harbin Ice Hockey Arena. The first match featured the Shenzhen KUNLUN Red Star Ice Hockey Club facing off against the Almaty team from Kazakhstan, known as the “Eagles of Central Asia.” The game concluded with a score of 3-1 in favor of Shenzhen.
The match commenced following the ceremony, with Olympic champion Wu Qing in attendance to drop the puck. Just 3 minutes and 32 seconds into the game, Almaty’s No. 21, Zhenis, scored the opening goal through a well-coordinated play. In the 5th minute, Shenzhen’s No. 5, Aziz-Muzaffarov, received a two-minute penalty, allowing Shenzhen to take advantage of a power play. Just before the first period ended, Shenzhen’s No. 81, Yu Jilong, managed to tie the game.
The second period saw both teams trading offensive plays until 43 minutes and 56 seconds into the match when Shenzhen’s No. 10, Yang Boshuo, scored to give his team the lead. With just a little over four minutes left in the game, No. 66, Zhu Yunhan, added another goal for Shenzhen, solidifying their victory at 3-1.
After the game, the team leader of Shenzhen KUNLUN, Wang Siteng, expressed his excitement, stating, “The fans today were absolutely amazing! This is the most electric atmosphere we’ve experienced, and it really energized the team.”
On the other hand, Almaty’s coach, Peter Ilizarov, shared his disappointment in the loss but acknowledged the strength of their opponents. “It’s unfortunate to lose, but the other team played very well. We’ll analyze our performance and aim for victory in the next match to give our passionate fans a win,” he remarked.
The 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Ice Hockey Competition is an international event involving various nations under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The opening day attracted significant attention from fans, with 5,400 spectators filling the Harbin Ice Hockey Arena to capacity.
Earlier that day, another match saw the Primorsky Krai team from Russia triumph over the Kyrgyz Republic’s Naryn Eagles with a decisive score of 22-6. Two more matches are scheduled for October 13, featuring the Primorsky Krai team against Kazakhstan’s Almaty team and Shenzhen KUNLUN facing the Naryn Eagles.
The event is supported by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Friendly Cooperation Committee and the Foreign Affairs Office of the Heilongjiang Provincial Government, with the Chinese Ice Hockey Association, Heilongjiang Sports Bureau, and Harbin Municipal Government acting as the organizing bodies.
