On a frozen pond far from the Olympics, meet China's ice hockey veterans

ANSHAN, China : "Today ... the first game in the Winter Olympics ... begins!"

The shout rings through a coterie of onlookers by a frozen pond as 12 men, in helmets and other hockey gear, take position on a makeshift rink under a pale sun and sapphire sky.

On the unscripted prompt, the referee drops the puck onto the grey, marbled ice and hurries to one side. A hunched-over forward slaps it towards his right-winger, who, alas, misses the pass, a blunder quickly exploited by opponents.

The men, amateur players in the rust-belt city of Anshan in northeast China, are mostly in their 50s and 60s, their passion for the sport in sharp contrast to wider indifference.

(Open https://reut.rs/3tGlGH5 to see a picture package)

The lack of interest is aggravated by the unremarkable men's hockey team that is to compete for China in the Beijing Games next month. No one is expecting a "Miracle on Ice" moment like at the 1980 Winter Olympics, when a group of college amateurs beat the traditionally dominant Soviets.

The Chinese team, ranked No. 32 globally, was allowed to play at the Beijing Games by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) only after lengthy deliberation over its relative proficiency.

For the Anshan players, though, hockey has never been about smashing Olympic records or playing in an elite league.

Many have been friends for more than three decades. They come from all walks of life. Some are blue-collar workers, a few are civil servants, one is a police officer, others are retirees, like the boss of the league, Chu Cequn.

"They enjoy coming together to play," said Chu, 70, who stopped playing three years ago but still occasionally referees.

"And we enjoy duelling with equally 'old' teams from the nearby cities of