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Ice is the last thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Bahrain’s sunny shores, but the country’s very own National Ice Hockey team hopes to break that stereotype and build a strong local hockey community, as it gears up for the third GCC Games in Kuwait.
The team may not have a big budget and may be relatively young on the Bahrain Olympic Committee’s roster, having been established under its umbrella in 2016, but it has what any team aspiring for underdog glory – heart.
“Ice hockey was first introduced in Bahrain in 1991 when Funland, the kingdom’s first and only permanent ice rink opened,” Bahrain Hockey Committee vice-president Abdulla AlQasemi said.
Paying a visit to the men’s team during their weekly practice every Sunday evening, is like walking into a scene from Cool Runnings – the 1991 movie chronicling the efforts of the Jamaican national bobsleigh team to compete at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
The rink may be half the size of a competitive rink and the budget almost non-existent, but the boys play hard, learning from experienced ice hockey-loving expatriates, usually serving at the US Navy base, as well as from each other.
“One of our biggest challenges is the size of the rink – this one is half the size of what we play on at the regional tournaments,” Captain Sameh Hegazi explained to GulfWeekly.
“For the GCC Games in Kuwait, planned for May, we are hoping to go a week earlier so that we can practice strategy and adapt to the tougher regimen.
“But we have a lot of enthusiasm. Every week, 20-25 people show up with their gear, eager to learn more, get on the ice and give it their all!”
The team play five-a-side at the regional tournaments, but can only practice with three- or four-a-side teams at Funland, owing to the rink’s size, but they don’t let that dampen their spirit.
Hegazi yells encouragement from the sidelines and when players come off the ice, as they do every few minutes to give others their ice time, he makes suggestions about how they can improve their game.
Hegazi grew up watching the likes of Alexander Ovechkin take to the ice and considers the Washington Capitals to be his favourite team, but he is also practical about the team.
“We have some young bucks, which is fantastic to see, but it’s just as important for them to learn strategy off the ice as it is to improve performance on the ice,” he noted.
The team is comprised of captain Sameh Hegazi, Rashed AlMutlaq, Abdulla Al Adhab, Abdulla Al Mutawa, Albdullatif Hejres, Abdulla Turki, Tamer Fakhroo, Salman Al Thawadi, Rashed Albahri, Ahmed Othman, Majed Alsarraj, Abdulrahman Turki, Salman Sulaibeekh, Muhanad Azzoz and Said Al Ozairi.
Coaching the team are Jason Mejia, Abdulla Jenahi and Hegazi.
The team has competed in the 7th Asian Winter Games in 2011, 2nd Arabian Gulf Cup in 2012, Dubai International Open Tournament from 2010 to 2017, Qatar Invitational Open Tournament from 2012 to 2016, UAE President Cup from 2014 to 2016, GCC 1st Professionals Championship Kuwait in 2018 and Kuwait Arab Clubs Open for Professionals in 2020.
“One of the major goals of the committee is to develop the age groups of both genders and bring out a new generation to compete in this rare and difficult sport to keep up with sports developments at an international level,” noted AlQasemi.
The Bahrain National Ice Hockey team will be competing at the GCC Games in Kuwait in May, after the games were recently postponed in line with Covid-19 guidelines.
