Beijing bid promotes life on the ice

Hockey is becoming increasingly popular on the back of the Chinese capital's application to be chosen as host city of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, as Sun Xiaochen reports.

Just halfway through his 90-minute training session, every piece of Wen Bocheng's hockey gear - helmet, gloves, and even his shoulder pads - was drenched in sweat as the 10-year-old drove the puck up and down the rink.

Despite fatigue and the occasional bruise, the fifth-grade student's face is full of excitement and satisfaction after every practice session he attends with more than 20 of his peers at the Tsinghua University Primary School. The students meet three times a week on the standard 1,800-square-meter rink at the Dreamport Mall in north Beijing, and Wen also plays one full-contact game every week to feed his growing passion for the sport.