The Chinese men's ice hockey team, which plays at the Beijing Winter Olympics, will play zagreb in Croatia at the end of this month to compete in the Second Division A of the ITA 2022 World Men's Ice Hockey Championships. The only goal of the Chinese team to compete for the championship and promotion is to participate in the competition.
Since last week, the Chinese men's ice squad participating in the Winter Olympics has gathered in Italy for pre-match training. Ye Jinguang, Fu Shuai, Wang Taylor, Zhang Zesen, Zheng Enlai, Chen Zimeng and other players who played in style at the Beijing Winter Olympics were in a good competitive state.
Zhou Kelin, Shen Jialei, Guo Ning and several other players who missed the Winter Olympics due to injury also had the opportunity to play for their country at the World Championships. Coach Saneta is still the leader of the Chinese coaching bench.
Veteran coach Saneta led the team to the World Championships
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ice Hockey World Championships Division B Group A match has been cancelled for the past two years. The Chinese national team won 1 win and 4 losses in the 2019 competition and finally ranked fifth.
Due to the announcement of the withdrawal of the Australian team, only five teams participated in this competition. They are The Chinese team, the Croatian team, the Dutch team, the Spanish team and the Israeli team. According to the rules, the five teams will compete in a single round robin format, and the one with the highest number of points will win the championship in this category and qualify for promotion to the first division.
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Chinese male ice is determined to win the championship
Current world ranking: 27th
Results of the previous World Championships: 5th place in Group A of the Second Division
Fighting a strong opponent in the Winter Olympics, the World Ranking of the Chinese men's ice hockey team rose by five places, becoming the highest ranked team in this tournament. The national team, which was formed to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics, brings together outstanding players representing the highest level of strength in Chinese ice hockey. Since the second half of last year, the players as a whole have completed a season of external training in the world's top KHL Continental Hockey League in the form of Kunlun Hongxing Professional Club, and the actual combat level has been significantly improved. The Winter Olympic Games and the world's top teams have also made the players gain a lot of confidence.
From the perspective of the strength of the team lineup, the Chinese team is in a dominant position in this tournament, and winning the championship is their goal. The last time the team competed in the World Championships Division A was in 2007.
Dutch team
Current world ranking: 29th
Last World Championship results: 6th place in Group B of Class A
The Dutch team, which has competed in 50 World Championships, is an established hockey powerhouse that reached the world's top eight in the 1980s. Three years ago, they finished last in Group B in Division A, making them relegated to Division B for the second time in their history. In order to prepare for this World Championship, the Dutch team has made a youthful adjustment, and the post-95 players have become the core of the squad. Tall stature, fierce playing style, and good professional experience are the advantages of the team. They will be the biggest opponents of the Chinese team to compete for the title.
Croatia
Current world ranking: 31st
Results of the previous World Championships: 2nd place in Group A of the Second Division
Croatia are a European team that has been in the First Division level for many years. They were relegated to Division B Group A in 2019, and played a good result of 4 wins and 1 loss in that year's competition, but only won the second place in the comparison of the win-loss relationship, and failed to complete the promotion. As the host, Croatia aimed to win the championship this tournament, retaining nearly ten veterans of more than 30 in the lineup. Mature playing style and rich experience in international competitions are the advantages of the team.
Spain
Current world ranking: 32nd
Results of the previous World Championships: 4th place in Group A of The Second Division
The Spanish team has 31 world championship experiences and was in the first division of the world championships ten years ago. The Spanish team, which is currently in the transition period of old and new, has half of the players participating in the World Championships as young people after 00, and they are all players trained in local leagues. The players of the team are not tall and emphasize the overall coordination in a rapid breakthrough. Honing the new squad is the team's goal.
Israel
Current world ranking: 34th
Results of the previous World Championships: 1st place in Group B of Class B
At the 2019 World Championships, Israel finished first in Group B of the Second Division and returned to Group A after a gap of five years. Israel, which has only been in existence for 30 years, has been in a very precarious team, and in the past thirteen years, they have only won one victory in The Second Division A competition. The vast majority of israeli players from home leagues in this World Championship are older and less experienced in actual combat.