Forging some homegrown puck power

Building a strong domestic league cited as crucial for China's Olympic chances

Despite a lack of talent and facilities, China's hockey governing body is looking to its long-awaited domestic league to bolster the national program ahead of the challenge of the home Olympics.

Four years into preparations for the 2022 Winter Games, China's commitment to propel hockey into the national sports mainstream still looks like a long shot, underlined by the weekend launch of a domestic league forced to include overseas teams to make up for the dearth of homegrown talent.