International Hockey

IIHF – Cheng rejoicing historical bronze

IIHF - Cheng rejoicing historical bronze

A day before turning 25, Chung Pan Justin Cheng earned himself an early birthday present that will be hard to top. With a bronze medal hanging around his neck, Cheng had been instrumental in lifting Hong Kong, China to historical heights winning their first-ever medal at an IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

Having only lost one game in regular time, the Hong Kongers finished a well-deserved third at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division III Group B in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina. 

Cheng’s contribution en route to bronze was another cause for celebration. Notching 20 points (8+12) in five games, he was fourth overall in scoring and capped off a fine tournament by being voted the top forward of the tournament by the directorate.

“I just wanted to help the team get a medal, because we never got one. It was fun to be back with the boys. It’s been a few years since I’ve last seen them,” said Cheng.

His return had been welcomed with open arms by his teammates. Cheng’s only previous appearance for Hong Kong, China’s men’s team came at the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division III in Izmir, Türkiye. Eight long years later he returned to skate in the red and white jersey in his second men’s World Championship.

“I’ve been studying at university and usually I had exams when the World Championship is played, so it hasn’t worked out. One year I was also out injured. The team is a lot different now. Back when I started we had a lot younger team,” he said.

Having completed his studies, Cheng is now a resident physiotherapist. Eager to make up for lost time with the national team, Cheng’s return was almost instantly felt. He needed only 3:33 to score and tallied 2+2 in their opener against Bosnia & Herzegovina. Hong Kong, China, which arrived without a single team practice, went on to surrender a 5-3 lead to lose against the hosts after penalty shots.

With one point gained from their opener, they found their scoring touch in their next game, an 11-1 win against Iran. The game that decided their fate came on day three in Sarajevo against Singapore. A memorable 7-6 overtime win, which also is Cheng’s favourite game during his national team career.

“If we would have lost against Singapore, we wouldn’t have gotten a medal. For some of the guys on the team, it might be their last year, so we wanted to get them a medal. The game went back and forth. We tied the game and then won in overtime. It was a big game for…

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