Players' heart overcomes Gulf in class
Bahrain's hockey players leave Harbin beaten, but unbowed, Xing Wen reports.
The ongoing Asian Winter Games proved to be a bittersweet experience for Bahrain's men's ice hockey team, which finished the Games dead last. However, as the only athletes sent by the small Gulf nation to Harbin, the tale of their Asiad journey is a moving one.
Following a crushing 34-0 loss to Kuwait in a group stage match late on Sunday, they failed to hold onto an early lead against Macao, China, in a classification match on Monday morning, ultimately losing 4-3 in overtime.
"Fatigue is the main reason we lost the game," said the team's head coach, Tamer Fuad Hasan Khalaf Fakhroo, revealing that the players had barely managed five hours of rest before the final showdown against Macao, China.
"It was a tough lesson for us, but we will not give up until we make a comeback," he added.
"We've tried our best with a shared love of the game," said an emotional Yousif Al Salah, in the mixed zone afterwards, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Everybody in this team has sacrificed something for us to be here," the 25-year-old continued.
Despite the statistics labeling them as the tournament's worst team, delving deeper into the country's ice hockey journey reveals a story worthy of respect.
A group of dedicated amateurs take time out from their day jobs to practice on the country's only ice rink — measuring just 30 meters by 15 — at the Funland bowling and ice skating center in the capital, Manama.
