The Chinese capital of Beijing is one of the two forerunners in the final bid for the hosting of the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Aside from being a great privilege for Beijing, hosting the Winter Olympics could also bolster hockey development in the city.
Officials from Beijing and its rival for the hosting gig, the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan, are awaiting the decision from the International Olympics Committee (IOC), which will announce the winning host soon.
Winter sports in the country, particularly ice hockey, are currently experiencing an increase in popularity as Beijing races to win the bidding. This trend is best evidenced by the total of 97 teams who registered with the Beijing Ice Hockey Association's 2014-2015 Youth Hockey League, which will take place throughout winter and spring.
An addition to Beijing's final sprint to win the bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics is the announcement that 18-year-old Song Andong has been drafted by the New York Islands for the National Hockey League. He is the first Chinese hockey player to be drafted in the National Hockey League, ranking no. 172 in the draft which took place about a week ago.
Despite the growing demand for the sport, the development of ice hockey in the country still faces problems.
A major issue is the lack of decent rinks in the country. According to Liu Ghe, general-secretary of the BHA, there are currently only six game-standard rinks in Beijing. Such a low number won't be able to accommodate the increasing demand for ice hockey in the nation.
Xin Tieliang, chairman of the BHA, believes that the solution to the dilemma is to receive more support from the government.
"Bidding for the Winter Olympics is a great opportunity," said Xin. "The government will spend more to boost hockey's growth if Beijing wins the bid."