Red Star women winning respect

Falling just short of the championship in the world's top women's hockey league bodes well for Kunlun Red Star's ambition to build a competitive national team to represent China at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Red Star, an expansion entry in the seven-team Canadian Women's Hockey League, ended its miracle journey on Monday, losing 2-1 to the Markham Thunder in overtime in the one-off championship final at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto.

It was the highest level ever achieved by a Chinese club in international hockey, and despite the disappointment of falling just short, the Shenzhen-based squad proved it can compete with the world's elite.