China Olympic Hockey Team Ranked in Group A
Mar 12, 2019; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Pucks and a hockey stick during the warmup period before the game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
December 19, 2021
The International Ice Hockey Federation decided to let China play Hockey in the 2022 Olympics among the other nations of group A.
This decision was taken in 2018 but after seeing that a lot of people thought that China’s hockey team was not good enough, the IIHF made some research.
«The council confirmed that it will uphold the decision by the 2018 IIHF Congress to grant the Chinese men’s national team a host qualification position in the 2022 Olympic Games,» said the federation in a brief statement.
After looking at some test games against Russia and reviewing players’ eligibility, IIHF validated the decision of letting China play hockey in the Olympics.
“Definitely not second to a Norway or a Denmark or Latvia. We’re equal to those countries,” Zanatta said then. “Today and the last game they proved they have the character and the ability and they have the right to participate in their own Olympics.”
The 2022 Olympics will take place in Beijing. China’s hockey team will face Canada, the United States and Germany. People still think that they are not at the level of these countries. China is placed in group A with these countries even though these teams will clearly dominate China.
