05:32Russia: 'It was special' - UAE men's and women's teams take part in ice hockey tournament in Kazan
The UAE men's and women's amateur ice hockey teams claimed victories in their final group matches of the inaugural Kazan Hockey Cup 2023 International Tournament between Islamic countries and the Republic of Tatarstan, in Kazan on Monday.
The UAE women's amateur team faced Bahrain on the ice and won 12:6. The men's team played a match against Oman with a final score of 5:7 in their favour.
The competition was held in a league format, with Uzbekistan, Tatarstan and the UAE tying on points in the men’s tournament, and the Tatarstan team winning overall in the women’s competition.
According to the President of the Omani Skating Sports Committee Qasim Talib al-Bourai, such matches among Islamic countries are very motivating and unifying.
"The importance of the event is to meet together as Muslims, and compete with the West as hockey players. This motivates us very much," al-Bourai noted.
The president also spoke about the warm welcome they had received in Kazan.
"Residents of Kazan are extremely friendly and hospitable, and I had such a pleasure interacting with them. They are all kind-hearted people; from the president to the ordinary people," al-Bourai said.
UAE amateur hockey player Khulood Shugaa shared her emotions on the match.
"It was special; we enjoyed meeting many teams like Bahrain and Tatarstan," she said.
Another athlete, Bushra Alhemeiri, admitted that hockey attracted her attention because it was an unusual sport for a hot country.
"I chose this sport because it is not common in the Arab World; it requires snow, and the UAE is a desert country. So, ice hockey was something peculiar and new to me," al-Humairi added.
She also said that holding such tournaments helps to strengthen cultural ties.
UAE team captain Omar Ali Eid al-Shamsi also supported the idea of matches among Islamic countries.
"The idea of Islamic hockey competition is the greatest idea so far. We love it so much so we can gather all the countries together and improve the hockey in the region, especially in the Gulf and the Arab countries," the captain stressed.
The International Ice Hockey Tournament between Islamic countries takes place in Kazan from January 13-17. On Tuesday, a gala match featuring the best players from each team and the closing ceremony will be held at Tatneft Arena.
The tournament features 12 men's and five women's amateur teams. The competition brought together over 300 athletes and officials from 13 nations including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Oman, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan as well as a combined team from Algeria, Morocco and Lebanon.
05:32The UAE men's and women's amateur ice hockey teams claimed victories in their final group matches of the inaugural Kazan Hockey Cup 2023 International Tournament between Islamic countries and the Republic of Tatarstan, in Kazan on Monday.
The UAE women's amateur team faced Bahrain on the ice and won 12:6. The men's team played a match against Oman with a final score of 5:7 in their favour.
The competition was held in a league format, with Uzbekistan, Tatarstan and the UAE tying on points in the men’s tournament, and the Tatarstan team winning overall in the women’s competition.
According to the President of the Omani Skating Sports Committee Qasim Talib al-Bourai, such matches among Islamic countries are very motivating and unifying.
"The importance of the event is to meet together as Muslims, and compete with the West as hockey players. This motivates us very much," al-Bourai noted.
The president also spoke about the warm welcome they had received in Kazan.
"Residents of Kazan are extremely friendly and hospitable, and I had such a pleasure interacting with them. They are all kind-hearted people; from the president to the ordinary people," al-Bourai said.
UAE amateur hockey player Khulood Shugaa shared her emotions on the match.
"It was special; we enjoyed meeting many teams like Bahrain and Tatarstan," she said.
Another athlete, Bushra Alhemeiri, admitted that hockey attracted her attention because it was an unusual sport for a hot country.
"I chose this sport because it is not common in the Arab World; it requires snow, and the UAE is a desert country. So, ice hockey was something peculiar and new to me," al-Humairi added.
She also said that holding such tournaments helps to strengthen cultural ties.
UAE team captain Omar Ali Eid al-Shamsi also supported the idea of matches among Islamic countries.
"The idea of Islamic hockey competition is the greatest idea so far. We love it so much so we can gather all the countries together and improve the hockey in the region, especially in the Gulf and the Arab countries," the captain stressed.
The International Ice Hockey Tournament between Islamic countries takes place in Kazan from January 13-17. On Tuesday, a gala match featuring the best players from each team and the closing ceremony will be held at Tatneft Arena.
The tournament features 12 men's and five women's amateur teams. The competition brought together over 300 athletes and officials from 13 nations including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Oman, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan as well as a combined team from Algeria, Morocco and Lebanon.