Chinese actor Wu Jing runs with the torch on 2 February during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Torch Relay.
photo: Meng Chenguang / Xinhua / Keystone
Chinese action movie actor and director Wu Jing has joined an IIHF initiative to popularize ice hockey in China becoming the country’s first-ever ambassador for the world’s number one winter team sport.
The announcement was made during the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing and on the IIHF’s social media channels for Chinese fans on Weibo, Wechat, Douyin and Kuaishou.
“The IIHF is proud to welcome Wu Jing as its ambassador for ice hockey at the Olympic Winter Games. He is a great figure in China’s film industry and has made a tremendously positive impact with his work both on and off-screen. He is a strong role model for China’s youth and we are grateful that he has decided to lend his positive influence to aid our efforts to grow the game at all levels within Asia,” said IIHF President Luc Tardif, who gifted a Chinese national team jersey to Wu via video.
The announcement was made during the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing and on the IIHF’s social media channels for Chinese fans on Weibo, Wechat, Douyin and Kuaishou.
“The IIHF is proud to welcome Wu Jing as its ambassador for ice hockey at the Olympic Winter Games. He is a great figure in China’s film industry and has made a tremendously positive impact with his work both on and off-screen. He is a strong role model for China’s youth and we are grateful that he has decided to lend his positive influence to aid our efforts to grow the game at all levels within Asia,” said IIHF President Luc Tardif, who gifted a Chinese national team jersey to Wu via video.
Wu Jing – IIHF Ice Hockey Ambassador in China
Chinese action movie actor and director Wu Jing has joined an IIHF initiative to popularize ice hockey in China becoming the country’s first-ever ambassador for the world’s number one winter team sport.
Wu is a well-known action movie actor in China but also had his American film debut in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. And his love for action doesn’t stop there since he is also a hockey fan and has friends who send their children to ice hockey programs. Recently he was among the millions of people who watched the games of the Chinese women’s ice hockey team during the 2022 Olympic Winter Games on TV.
“We were very moved by their outstanding performance in fighting hard for the country. Ice hockey is very worth watching and winter sports are growing in popularity in China,” Wu said. “It’s a great honour to be the ambassador for the International Ice Hockey Federation. I would like to help promote ice hockey in China. I hope that more and more children and families can participate in in this great team sport.”
China has been an IIHF member since 1963 and plays Olympic ice hockey in Beijing for the third time after participating in Nagano 1998 and Vancouver 2010. With the Beijing Olympics, the ambitions have grown and many ice rinks and hockey programs opened across the country. The Chinese ice hockey family has grown in recent years to over 13,000 registered players.
The IIHF has continuously worked on building a strong social media presence around the world and recently launched accounts on social media platforms in China to interact with fans and players in one of the most populous countries thereby extending its digital offerings to show the best of ice hockey with easier access for Chinese audiences.
“We were very moved by their outstanding performance in fighting hard for the country. Ice hockey is very worth watching and winter sports are growing in popularity in China,” Wu said. “It’s a great honour to be the ambassador for the International Ice Hockey Federation. I would like to help promote ice hockey in China. I hope that more and more children and families can participate in in this great team sport.”
China has been an IIHF member since 1963 and plays Olympic ice hockey in Beijing for the third time after participating in Nagano 1998 and Vancouver 2010. With the Beijing Olympics, the ambitions have grown and many ice rinks and hockey programs opened across the country. The Chinese ice hockey family has grown in recent years to over 13,000 registered players.
The IIHF has continuously worked on building a strong social media presence around the world and recently launched accounts on social media platforms in China to interact with fans and players in one of the most populous countries thereby extending its digital offerings to show the best of ice hockey with easier access for Chinese audiences.
IIHF joins social media in China
With six weeks to go until the first puck drop at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, the IIHF has launched new accounts on social media platforms for fans in the host country China.