China defeated Kazakhstan 5-0

Beijing, November 1 (Hindustan Reporter) China defeated Kazakhstan 5-0 in the first match of the first International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Ice Hockey Women's Asia Championship held at Shougang Park in Beijing on Thursday.

China's Qi Yu scored a goal just 56 seconds after the start of the match on home ground, giving China a 1-0 lead. After this, his teammates Zhang Biang and Feng Xin scored two more goals in the first period to put their team ahead 3–0. China further increased its lead in the second and third rounds and ultimately won 5-0.

China captain Yu Baiwei said after the match, “It was a good start for our team. Young players scored goals and assists to gain experience and confidence in this high level event. We look forward to competing with Japan and other teams who can help us realize our potential. The entire team will fight till the end.”

In the second game, Japan defeated South Korea 12-0. Japan opened the scoreline by scoring two goals in six minutes and scored seven goals in the second period alone to ensure victory.

Among all four participating teams, world No. 7 Japan is the highest ranked team in the tournament, followed by China at 12th.

The second round of the event will take place on Saturday, in which China will face South Korea, while Japan will face Kazakhstan. The final round will take place on Sunday.

The ice hockey venue was also replaced about a month ago by Shougang Park to host the World Table Tennis China Smash, where the iconic Beijing Winter Olympics venue Big Air Shougang is located.