Number of girls playing ice hockey on the rise

Hou Xintong said that what she loves the most about playing ice hockey is the crisp sound of her stick striking the puck.

It is hard to believe that the 12-year-old star forward of Beijing's first girls' ice hockey team could barely skate when she joined the team six months ago.

"I expect them to fight like boys in the rink and act like ladies when they take off their skates," said Wang Jing, head coach of the team, which was established in March.