Macao’s men’s ice hockey team emerged victorious against Bahrain 4-3 during its fourth and final match in the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin on Monday.
Despite ranking 13th overall out of the 15 territories and countries that started in the competition, Macao win over Bahrain marks the city’s first win since 2019 and the first time the team has earned a victory in a major international ice hockey competition, according to various hockey specialist publications.
Local players Katsuyoshi Shinoda, Edison Sou and Yeung Ho Yin helped Macao earn its initial three points, but it was 40-year old Cheng Chon Herminio who sealed the deal with an overtime goal that broke the 3-3 stalemate.
Macao’s win follows a string of earlier defeats that began with a 1-26 loss against Hong Kong on 3 February. This was followed by a 0-26 defeat against Turkmenistan on 5 February, and a 2-4 loss against India four days later.
While the SAR’s overall results leave a lot to be desired, the local ice hockey team was considered the underdog, facing numerous obstacles in the lead up to its debut at the 9th Asian Winter Games.
[See more: Macao’s ice hockey team loses to Hong Kong in its Asian Winter Games debut]
Macao’s roster of players totals a little over 100, with one hockey news outlet referring to the city’s “lack of sufficient ice hockey structure.” To make matters worse, the squad had to endure a tiresome commute to neighbouring Zhuhai for practice, as Macao’s sole ice skating rink in Praca Luis de Camos was undergoing maintenance during the training period.
In comparison to other locations such as Hong Kong, the Macao team also lacks competitive experience, having failed to gain admittance into the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships.
Despite the adversity, the captain of the squad, Leong Chon Kong, said that the team was hoping to come out on top “against nations with similar resources,” adding that the players had been “aiming for at least one win.”
Although Macao is not known for being particularly adept at winter sports, the city has participated in three editions of the Asian Winter Games in 2007, 2017 and 2025.
The 9th Asian Winter Games opened on 7 February and are set to hold the closing ceremony this Friday. The ice hockey competition preceded the official opening of the games, kicking off on 3 February.
