Mega Ice 5's in Hong Kong
24-February-2008
Rink Ink recently had a chance to catch up with Keith Fong, who is the Deputy General Manager of Mega Ice, and an organizer of this year's Mega Ice 5's Hockey Tournament being held in the very exciting and lively city of Hong Kong.
Rink Ink: How long have the Mega Ice 5’s been running?
Keith Fong: Technically, this is the first year of the Mega Ice 5’s. The first tournament held in HK was organized by one of my colleagues, Tom Barnes back in 1994 under the company name Asiasports. The name of the tournament is basically named after the tournament sponsor but it was also commonly known as the World ice Hockey 5’s. Since then, Tom and I have moved into the rink management side of the new rink here in HK. The rink (Mega Ice) will host the tournament this year.
RI: How long have you been involved with the event?
KF: I first assisted in this tournament in 1999, the year that we brought in Gordie Howe as our special guest. Yes, Gordie Howe. We split the tournament into 2 weekends and had about 45 teams from kids, women and men. I took over as Tournament Director in the 2005 event when it was held in Malaysia. That year, we had 30 teams. The 2006 event, also in Malaysia doubled into 60 teams. The 2007 event was then moved back to HK and it also hosted 60 teams.
RI: How many teams are involved with this event? What age groups are we looking at?
KF: We are looking at around another 60 teams for this event. However, just like in 1999, we will be splitting into 2 weekends. The kids in one weekend (April 29-May 3) and the adults (May 6-10) in another. Kids age groups will range from 5-18 while in the adults, the divisions will split into Women, Asian A and B and International A and B. A – being the higher level.
RI: What calibre of play are the teams in this event?
KF: The International A division is our highest level. We have had teams from Finland, UAE, Russia ..etc., who all had ex-pros that played for their countries. In the Asian A division, the UAE Nationals and the HK Asian team are usually the ‘power houses’ for this division. The team is made up of all Arabs. The B levels in each division would be a ‘recreational’ level.
RI: How many countries are involved with this tournament? Is this event held in different countries besides Hong Kong?
KF: We are estimating about 15 or so countries that will be represented with club teams. The previous World Ice Hockey 5’s tournaments in 2001,2002, 2005 and 2006 were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All the other years, they were held in Hong Kong.
RI: What % of players are of Asian descent.
KF: I’d say for both the kids and adults, 40% of the players are of Asian descent.
RI: There’s a plan this year to send a Canadian Team over to play in this event….how do you think this team will fair?
KF: I think definitely a Canadian team would do very well here. Hockey is part of Canadian life and the players will definitely have a better advantage after watching it on a daily basis. Plus, I’m sure most of the players are extra pumped since it is in the month of May, which is right in the middle of the NHL playoffs.
RI: Will we see a team make the trip to the Great White North, and experience hockey Canadian style?..if yes, when do you think this will happen?
KF: Yes – definitely. We are making plans to send a HK team over for the first time. Some of the players currently who are planning to come, have lived in Canada for a short bit however, some have never experienced the Canadian soil (or Ice) just yet.
RI: When’s the last time you were in Toronto? Have you been to Niagara Falls, the CN Tower or the Hockey Hall of Fame?
KF: Although growing up in Vancouver and spending my first 25 years of my life in Canada, I have never been to Toronto. I am very excited though of the prospects of coming this year. I have met quite a few Canadians from TO and will get a chance to visit them on this trip. I have heard many great things about the tournament there. Looking forward to it!
Additional information -
· Most if not all the teams that come play in this tournament have a great time. We do our best in terms of organizing, making it competitive and fair for all the teams. We also are flying in 4 certified referees from Vancouver, Canada. The rest of the officiating crew are also made up of Canadians, living in Hong Kong and with an abundance of experience. That is important to know so the players know that they will have a fair shake and most importantly, it will provide them safe environment to play.
· In addition to the hockey, another important factor is the city. Most teams come here with their family and enjoy the great city of Hong Kong – the city that does not sleep. From food, electronics, shopping, entertainment, Disney Land ….etc – Hong Kong has so much to offer. Myself, I moved here since 1999 and love every minute of it.
· HK is also close to Macau, the ‘Las Vegas’ of Asia. Not just casinos but the food and entertainment is awesome.
· Teams can also make a quick trip to Shenzhen, China for more shopping. Please note, Canadian passports need visas to go to China however, it is very easy to get at the border. Or best to have that taken care of at the Chinese Consulate in Canada. Macau does not require visas – just your passport when travelling.
· Golfers – great golf courses here in HK, Shenzhen and Macau.
· The rink here (Mega Ice) is a beautiful rink – close to NHL size. It also has a 30 meter glass window which overlooks the HK Harbour. The rink was constructed by CIMCO, another Canadian company, which also built numerous NHL rinks.
· We will have a Skills Competition during the tournament – Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot, Puck Control and the Breakaway contest (Most Creative goal)
We would like to thank Keith Fong for spending time with us at Rink Ink, and we wish him all the success in the New Year with the Mega Ice 5's. Rink Ink will be there for updates and highlights from this coming year!
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