On January 18, the official opening of the World Ice Hockey Championship for youth teams under 20 years old (U20) took place in Bishkek.
The ceremony was filled with concert performances and a parade of tournament participants. High-ranking officials from the country, representatives of sports organizations, as well as international guests, athletes, and fans attended the event.
Among those who delivered welcoming speeches were the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Edil Baisalov, the Director of the State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports Kazybek Moldazhiyev, the Mayor of Bishkek Aibek Junushaliev, the Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic Umbetaly Kydyraliev, a member of the Council of the International Ice Hockey Federation Franz Reindl, and the President of the Ice Hockey Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic Anvar Omorkanov.
On the first day of the championship, a match featuring the tournament hosts took place. The Kyrgyzstan national team won against the team from Hong Kong (China) with a score of 4:1.
The U20 World Ice Hockey Championship will continue until January 24 and includes teams from Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Luxembourg, South Africa, Iran, and Hong Kong (China).
