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Taiwan's Ice Hockey Team Travels to Asian Winter Games as Plucky Underdogs

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By Devin Tsai/Sandy Chi

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With the Asian Winter Games set to open in Harbin, China, next month, Taiwan's national men's ice hockey team is hard at work in training, despite only getting two hours a week on the country's only skating arena to practice. The team travels to Harbin as underdogs but hopes to gain experience and hopefully respect as they go up against some of Asia's top hockey teams.

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Taiwan’s Men’s Ice Hockey Team Sets Sights on Asian Winter Games 

Speed, power and determination define Taiwan’s national men’s ice hockey team as they prepare to take on Asia’s top teams at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China, next month. The 20-member squad, ranging in age from 19 to 35, faces formidable opponents, including Kazakhstan, South Korea, Japan and the host nation. While they do not anticipate taking home a medal, their primary goals are to gain experience and earn respect on the ice. 

“I hope these young players can learn by watching how higher-level teams play and gain inspiration from them,” said head coach Weng To. Weng previously participated in the competition 15 years ago. For him, that experience was an inspiration that eventually gave him the opportunity to play abroad. 

Formed in 2007, Taiwan’s national team is ranked 40th globally, a position largely influenced by the country’s subtropical climate and limited access to ice rinks. Captain Lin Hung-ju, a player with nearly two decades of experience, highlighted the challenges his team faces. He says that Taiwan only has one small standard arena, which is shared between other winter sports like figure skating and speed skating. As a result, the ice hockey team is limited to just around two hours of time on the ice per week. 

For Lin, the commitment to the sport comes with personal sacrifices. “I need to come up from Taichung to Taipei, which takes around four hours both ways. But this is all for my goal. I have to do my best and adapt to it. I can’t say it doesn’t affect me. It certainly does,” he explained.  

Despite these hurdles, the sport has made strides in Taiwan over the past decade. Neo Huang, secretary-general of the Chinese Taipei Ice Hockey Federation, expressed hope for the future. “We hope to build another ice rink to train up more ice hockey players. We also hope that in the next five years, our results can be closer to China, Japan and South Korea,” he said. 

The players remain undeterred by the challenges. Team captain Lin says that coming up against these top Asian ice hockey teams is an honor. Lin also noted, “I think no matter the outcome, we hope to win the respect of our opponents.” He also hopes this chance can help his players challenge themselves and extend their abilities.   

The Asian Winter Games will commence on February 7, giving the team little time to maximize their training. Nevertheless, Taiwan’s hockey players are ready to showcase their grit and love for the game, hoping to leave an impression on the ice and above all show some pluck with the puck.