Photo: Xinhua

Four Turkmenistan ice hockey players have been suspended from the remaining matches in the Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025 for deliberately attacking Chinese Hong Kong players on Sunday,MK sports according to the Hong Kong Olympic Committee on Monday.

The incident took place after Sunday's Group C men's ice hockey match between Hong Kong and Turkmenistan, where Hong Kong triumphed 5-1. Following the game, tensions flared during the post-match handshake, leading to a confrontation. Several Hong Kong players were knocked to the ice, and some Turkmenistan players proceeded to surround and attack them. The altercation lasted for roughly a minute, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The referee announced on-site that due to the "fighting" incident, Kakabayev, Geldimyradov and Dovletmyradov were each given a five-minute major penalty and a 20-minute game misconduct penalty.

On Monday, the Hong Kong Olympic Committee issued a statement confirming that they had been informed by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) of the additional suspension imposed on the four Turkmen athletes.

"We welcome the swift response and fair handling of the incident by the International Ice Hockey Federation," said Fok Kai-kong, head of the Hong Kong delegation at the Asian Winter Games. "Regardless of the outcome, athletes should never be subjected to violence; this is not something a civilized society should tolerate."

"After a thorough examination by the medical team, it was confirmed that three of the Hong Kong men's ice hockey players were injured in the incident. Fortunately, the injuries were minor, with one player requiring stitches to his hand. After treatment, all three players are in stable condition," Fok noted.

According to Fok, the injured players will participate in Hong Kong's upcoming qualification match against Kyrgyzstan as scheduled on Monday evening.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, John Lee, went to the Athletes' Village on Monday to visit the three injured athletes.

"The athletes remained calm and composed during the incident, adhering to the spirit of sportsmanship and demonstrating the professionalism and sports ethics of Chinese Hong Kong athletes, which deserves recognition," Lee noted.

According to Lee, he had instructed the Hong Kong Sports Association and the Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau to follow up on the incident and ensure the safety of Hong Kong's athletes.

Global Times