ANSHAN, China, Jan 20 (Reuters) – “Today … the first game in the Winter Olympics … begins!”
The shout rings through a coterie of onlookers by a frozen pond as 12 men, in helmets and other hockey gear, take position on a makeshift rink under a pale sun and sapphire sky.
On the unscripted prompt, the referee drops the puck onto the grey, marbled ice and hurries to one side. A hunched-over forward slaps it towards his right-winger, who, alas, misses the pass, a blunder quickly exploited by opponents.
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The men, amateur players in the rust-belt city of Anshan in northeast China, are mostly in their 50s and 60s, their passion for the sport in sharp contrast to wider indifference.
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The lack of interest is aggravated by the unremarkable men’s hockey team that is to compete for China in the Beijing Games next month. No one is expecting a “Miracle on Ice” moment like at the 1980…
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