Chinese pucksters spring ice surprise

China's para ice hockey players are daring to dream after two opening Group B victories propelled them to nationwide attention over the weekend.

A stunning 7-0 victory over Slovakia last Saturday gave Team China a flying start to its Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics campaign, and the young squad kept the momentum going on Sunday with a 5-2 triumph over the Czech Republic.

Now the team's fast-growing fan base is hopeful a medal could even be on the way.

"Everyone fought so hard, and I really appreciate all the efforts that my teammates have made," said Team China defender Xu Jinqiang, whose 32nd birthday was marked at the National Stadium on Saturday with a celebratory song played on the venue's PA system and chants from spectators.

"The two victories were the best birthday gifts for me. At first I did not notice that people were celebrating my birthday until the camera fixed on me. I just felt so warm, and I almost cried," added Xu.

"Last year I spent my birthday training with my teammates. My birthday wish now is that we can have great performances in each match and achieve our goal at the Winter Paralympics."

Shen Yifeng has been China's standout star so far, netting four goals in the opening game.

"I'm so excited, and I don't even have words to describe my feelings now. For a young team like us, it's incredible just to attend the Winter Paralympics, and I managed to score four goals. It's unbelievable for myself," Shen said after Saturday's win.

The 24-year-old forward lost his legs in an accident at the age of 8, and started to play para ice hockey in 2016 when he was in high school. He says sports have had a transformational effect on his life and personality.

"When I was at school, I'd barely say a few sentences to people each day. But when I started to play para ice hockey, because I needed to communicate with my teammates on tactics, I had to talk more. I feel I'm becoming more and more positive and outgoing."

Team China next takes on Italy in Group B on Tuesday, before the qualifying finals on Wednesday. The tournament will conclude with the bronze-medal game on Saturday, with the gold-medal game following on Sunday.

The Chinese para ice hockey team was only established in 2016, with the squad initially struggling to rack up any wins on the international stage. However, years of hard work are now paying off at Beijing 2022.

"Both our rivals and us fought the hardest we could. So the coach told us not to give up easily and try our best to wear them down physically in the first period," said captain Cui Yutao.

"I think we have displayed our skills, and all of our players－defenders and forwards－are trying to score. We are really united. All the goals belong to Team China, as opposed to a single player."

Buoyed by their opening wins, now the young players have set their sights on the podium.

"This is the first time that we have played in the Winter Paralympics, and we are all so excited. The sound of the home fans cheering gives us a strong sense of responsibility and honor," said Wang Zhidong, who was one of Team China's flagbearers at Friday's opening ceremony.

"Our performances and fitness are getting better and better. My job is to help both offense and defense. We will try our best together to achieve our goals. I felt honored to be named as one of the flagbearers. I was thrilled and excited. And that is a motivation for me to help our team have better results."