The 2024 Mingjiang Cup Sino-Russian Youth Ice Hockey Invitational Tournament kicked off on Saturday in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.

The competition, hosted by the Harbin Sports Bureau and the Ice Hockey Association of Primorsky Krai, attracted four teams from Harbin and Primorsky Krai in Russia.

After exchanging gifts as a gesture of friendship, athletes from both sides competed fiercely.

After the match, the head of the Russian ice hockey club praised the ice rink and the players' spirit of hard work, stating that the venue facilities in Harbin are very professional, and the players' basic skills are excellent.

"In the future, we will bring some advanced training techniques and match experience from our club to Harbin, and we also welcome Chinese children to visit and learn at our club," he said.

Officials from the organizing committee said that the successful hosting of this event has further improved the competitive level of ice hockey clubs in both countries and contributed to the development of talent pipelines for ice hockey reserves.

Harbin will take this event as an opportunity to showcase the achievements of the 300 million people engaging in ice and snow sports and to gather strength for the successful hosting of the 9th Asian Winter Games in 2025 in Harbin, according to the bureau.