Twice a week on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 10pm until 11.30pm, a growing number of committed ice hockey enthusiasts(all men so far) ranging from 18 to 45, come together to train and play (albeit as 3-aside teams rather than the usual 5-aside teams plus goalie to be found on a normal pitch) on the only permanent ice rink in Cyprus.
The spectacle causes considerable interest from visitors still milling around in the shopping mall late at night, who watch intrigued as safety poles with high nets are first rigged up around with high nets are first rigged up around the perimeter of the rink to ensure the speeding pucks are contained within the playing area.
Several men then don their protective `armour` that consists of head and face guards, padded shoulders and body protection suits, knee pads and gloves; a pre-requisite in the game to ensure full safety is maintained throughout, particularly since speeds at which the players travel on the ice can be dangerously fast.
Most of the team are foreign, including Russian, Latvian( the former Latvian national coach is a team member), Irish, German and four Cypriot members.
Oslanes added: “We want to be recognised and accredited by the International Ice Hockey Federation, but to do that we must have been playing ( active status ) for two years and have a senior and junior programme running.
“We now have a junior academy running, which practices here on Saturday mornings at 9am ( we provide all the equipment to the children free of charge): we have ten children from 4 to 12 years of age playing currently and always welcome more.
“This should help towards the required ` active status ` qualifying criteria, also we regularly meet to play Inline hockey (on roller blades ) since this is taken into account by the regulatory authorities for those without adequate Ice Hockey rinks.”
Nigel Smeaton, a keen ice hockey player says he was drawn to My Mall once it opened because he could `smell` the ice.
He arrived here in 2007 and has been here ever since “my sister was getting married here but I was actually born here many years ago” and has been playing with the `Solar Bears` as the teamcall themselves, since it was founded a year and a half ago.
“I played in Ireland from a very young age so it`s great to have the rink here for us to use, although it`s much smaller than we`re used to.”
One of the team, Dimitri from Larnaca, thinks nothing of travelling twice a week to My Mall just to be able to play the sport he loves: “Of course I`m happy to drive from my home in Larnaca, it`s worth it, it`s great sport.”
My Mall`s circular ice rink is just 24m across whereas a regular ice hockey pitch is 60*30 sq.m in size.
The management and owners of My Mall were initially wary about the usage of the rink in a public setting, but with the safety measures taken into account and the company that manages and maintains ice rink, www.onice.gr supporting their endeavours to develop a national ice hockey team on the island, the group are positive that membership of the IIHF is on the way. “It would be great to have more Cypriots involved.“We welcome any new members anytime” said Oslanes.
“For more information about ice hockey at My Mall, contact Oslanes on :99154226 or turn up on Monday or Wednesday nights after 10pm to see the team in action.
Related posts:
Tags: Cyprus Ice Hockey, German, ice events hockey cyprus, Ice Hockey Cyprus, Ice Hockey in Limassol, Latvian, Limassol ice Hockey, permanent ice rink in Cyprus, Russian, the International Ice Hockey Federation