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The region’s top ice hockey teams will be flying into the kingdom this weekend to battle for cup glory in the first Bahrain DHL Ice Hockey Tournament.
The round-robin league championship will feature nine hard-hitting squads skating for victory at the Funland Centre in Manama on Friday and Saturday.
According to organiser and Bahrain Sharks defensive player, Tamer Fakhroo, this is one of the biggest hockey tournaments to be staged on the island and he hopes it will raise further awareness about the fast-paced sport.
Fakhroo, 38, a businessman from Amwaj, said: “Hockey is growing in popularity in the region. Believe it or not, there are more than 1,000 players, mostly in the UAE, devoted to the sport.
“Since the inception of hockey in Bahrain in 1993, we still get asked the same questions when we mention Bahrain Sharks or playing ice hockey in the kingdom. ‘Oh really, ice hockey in Bahrain! Where? Do you even have ice?’
“While we have competed in tournaments for years as well as hitting the boards in Bahrain and abroad, people still don’t realise that there is a huge following on the island.
“Apparently, most members of the regional hockey scene have competed and played all over, except for here. This is a good opportunity for them to bring their families for some fun in Bahrain’s sun while the husbands play the game they love … hockey. Also, it gives hockey players a chance to mingle with other like-minded people!”
The Sharks, which boast players from the island, Canada, the US and Germany, have achieved several accolades over the years such as being crowned champions of the Desert Cup in Doha, Qatar, from 2010 to 2012. They also took second place in the Capital Cup in Abu Dhabi in 2011 and won the Dubai Mighty Camels Cup in 2010.
The Sharks, who are last year’s Bahrain Ice Hockey League champions, are now gunning for gold and are fired up for a fierce fight on the ice.
The squads they will go up against in the DHL Bahrain-sponsored tournament are Bahrain River Rats, Bahrain Ice Hockey Club, Qatar Canucks, Abu Dhabi Arrows, Saudi Falcons, Oman Wadi Dogs, Kuwait Mooseheads and a select team from Germany.
Fakhroo said: “The German team is actually made up of a mixture of former top division German ice hockey players that will be visiting Bahrain to compete in this tournament. These guys range in age from 30 to 55. It will be great to meet them and perhaps gain some wisdom from these internationally-acclaimed players.”
The competition will run from 8am to 5pm on both days, with the winners being crowned champions on Saturday. There will also be trophies for the teams that finish second and third.
Fakhroo and the Sharks want to thank DHL Bahrain for the company’s support, especially to country manager, Abdul Aziz Busbate, and commercial manager, Emad Al Hajjami, for their interest in helping to develop the sport in Bahrain.
An all-women’s ice hockey team is currently in the works in the kingdom as well as a junior squad, and hopefully they will be ready in time for next year’s challenge.
He added: “We would like to invite everyone to come and cheer for their beloved Bahrain teams. We like to call this tournament ‘Fire on Ice’ because not only do we bring the heat, but we look cool doing it!
“Also, thank you to Funland Centre and DHL Bahrain for helping us put on such a grand event.”
