Beijing holds test ice hockey match ahead of Winter Olympics
The match, which was held without spectators and featured local teams Beijing Arcfox and Beijing Shougang, comes amid uncertainty over the participation status of China's men's national hockey team in next year's Games.
China is guaranteed a spot in the ice hockey tournament due to its status as host nation, but International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) president Luc Tardif said in September that the men's team could be prevented from playing due to its "insufficient sporting standard".
Though Tardif, who had also raised concerns that the possibility of China being comfortably beaten in all their matches in Beijing would adversely affect the tournament and the sport of ice hockey in general, has now rowed back on his earlier comments.
Eligible national Chinese team players will compete as part of the Kunlun Red Star team in Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) games on Nov. 15 and 17, after which the IIHF Council will reconvene to discuss the next steps forward for the team.
