23 Jan. 2012

Canadians are helping to foster the development of hockey in a foreign country. Members of the Sharks team play in their 'Grimsby Old timers' jerseys on the frozen slopes of hills on the outskirts of Zuunmood, Mongolie.

The Sharks use equipment donated by Canada and Finland, including jerseys and skate sharpeners from LT Sport in Grimsby. On a bitterly cold December morning, at an outdoor rink on the edge of town, the Sharks take to the ice for practice. The team, mostly boys in their early teens, lace up their skates and courageously face windswept -30°C temperatures to participate in this sport so deeply rooted in Canadian culture. It's a familiar sight in every Canadian community during winter. Except these children aren't Canadian, and this rink couldn't be further from Canada. The Sharks play in Zuunmod, a village of 14,000 inhabitants located 40 kilometers south of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolie.

Hockey is a relatively new sport in Mongolie. It was introduced to the country by the Russians in the 1960s, during the era of the Mongolian People's Republic. When communists were ousted from power in 1990, Russian support for hockey among Mongolians declined significantly. In recent years, interest in the sport has begun to grow, thanks to equipment donations and coaching support from foreign visitors. Ryan van Geest, originally from Grimsby, is one of them. Van Geest and his family have lived in Mongolie for the past three years, where he works as a pilot for a Christian organization, the Mission Aviation Fellowship. "During the summers, as a pilot, I'm very busy flying our Cessna Caravan for disadvantaged people, missionaries, humanitarian organizations, tourists, medical emergencies, and miners. During the winters, when temperatures drop, we don't have as many flights, so I have more time for hockey," he said. Van Geest became involved in local hockey after meeting a few Finnish missionaries who were building a church in Zuunmod. They had constructed an outdoor rink, and with van Geest's help and that of another Finnish missionary pilot, they were able to gather about 20 hockey sticks.

"Juuso (the Finnish pilot) and I brought hockey sticks for some of the children and showed them how to play. They caught on very quickly and loved it."

van Geest said.

About 15 children came to weekly practices. As the program grew in popularity, organizers faced some unique challenges. Most Mongolians are herders, and even in cities, more than a third of the population lives in poverty. Residents stole the wooden boards to burn as firewood. The boards around the rink in Zuunmood are now made of cement. Another challenge has been sourcing equipment. There are no local manufacturers for consumer goods such as hockey equipment here. According to van Geest, Russian equipment is expensive, and Chinese equipment cannot withstand the harsh weather and rough play on a Mongolian rink. The children must rely on donations or homemade gear. "Many of the young players make their own equipment, including goalie gear, and hockey sticks out of metal and wood," van Geest said, adding that many teams made do with half-blades and repaired broken sticks. In 2010, van Geest and others were able to acquire enough equipment donated by Canada and Finland to outfit an entire team. L.T. Sport in Grimsby donated enough jerseys for three teams, and "magic sticks" for sharpening skates. The Zuunmod Sharks were born. Their practices and tournaments are now organized by Mendee, a local pastor. The Sharks participated in their first tournament in 2010... and finished last. That didn't dampen their enthusiasm for the sport. "They had a lot of fun and learned a great deal. The tournament was about eight hours away by truck, and it was a wonderful opportunity for the children to learn more about hockey and get to know their teammates better," van Geest said. The Sharks now practice four times a week to prepare for their next tournament. He believes that introducing hockey to children in this small town on the other side of the world has been a blessing for them, as well as for himself.

Charlène Nomadays

SEO editor from the very beginning at Nomadays, Charlène has evolved into content manager and head of communications, accompanying the adventure with passion and dedication since its inception. After spending seven years in Asia—from China to Thailand, passing through Mongolie and South Korea—she has made travel a way of being in the world. A lover of words, nature, and human connection, she strives to convey in her writing a sensitive, engaged, and responsible vision of tourism. Each article is for her a bridge between curiosity, respect, and wonder.