Egyptian ice hockey team dreams of glide to glory
Meet Egypt’s ambitious ice hockey team
Location: Cairo
Despite a warm climate
a lack of ice rinks
and the high cost of equipment
this ice hockey squad dreams of the Olympics
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PLAYER IN EGYPTIAN ICE HOCKEY TEAM, MAHMOUD GHONEIM, SAYING:
"Many Arab countries now have leagues and federations that participate in championships. That is something we need to change in people's culture, to tell them that any sport can be played in Egypt, and that it doesn't have to be related to the country's climate."
The team hopes to establish a national federation
that can then compete internationally
but they still face challenges
and a lack of support
Players pay for their own uniforms and equipment
and practice on an ice rink a quarter of the size
of a standard Olympics rink
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ICE HOCKEY PLAYER, AYMAN ABDALLAH, SAYING:
"There are no resources, we pay from our own pockets to rent a rink. The cost is too much. There are also uniforms, the cost is very high, adding taxes and whatnot. So not everyone can pay this much. Only those who are able to do so continue to play."