Women's ice hockey tournament starts

Writer: Chen Siqi | Editor: Zhang Zhiqing | From: Original | Updated: 2025-04-14

The 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Division I Group A opened yesterday at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center in Longgang District.

Players compete in the match between Austria and Denmark on the opening day of the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Division I Group A at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center in Longgang District yesterday. Photos by Liu Xudong

Six national teams — China, Denmark, France, Austria, Slovakia, and the Netherlands — are competing in a single round-robin format, playing a total of 15 matches over five days.

Amid enthusiastic cheers from the crowd, France dominated the Netherlands in the opening match with a decisive 8-3 victory. In the following games, Austria defeated Denmark 3-0, while China faced off against Slovakia in a thrilling contest, which did not end until the press time.

“We hope to put up a strong fight in our first match against Slovakia and keep improving as the tournament progresses,” Yu Baiwei, captain of the Chinese team, said before the game. “We also want our performances to inspire more young people to take an interest in ice hockey and consider joining the sport.”

Among the spectators, a group of Austrian fans waving their national flags stood out. They had traveled all the way to Shenzhen to support their family member, Emma Lintner, the center player for Team Austria.

“We’re proud of Emma — she’s the youngest on the team,” said Michaela Lintner, the 16-year-old player’s mother. “We usually try to attend Emma’s games in Europe, but since China is such an interesting country, we’re excited to explore while we’re here. And you have such a great rink.”

The French team scores the first goal during the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Division I Group A.

During a sideline event, Magdalena Jabłońska, a coach for Poland’s under-14 club team and a retired athlete from the national team since 2021, conducted a training session for ice hockey coaches. She assigned the trainees homework to observe how coaches behave during the matches, stating that it is a valuable learning opportunity to watch high-level competitions like this tournament.

She expressed high expectations for the Chinese players, noting their exceptional speed. “Having watched the under-18 games, I was impressed by how fast the Chinese players are,” said Jabłońska.

Tickets for the remaining matches (April 14, 16, 17, and the finals April 19) are available, with prices ranging from 40 to 588 yuan (US$5-80).

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