The first Cross-Strait Youth Roller Hockey Carnival kicked off in Guangdong City, south China's Guangdong Province on Monday, with the participation of 31 teams from Guangzhou city, the Hong Kong Special Administrative region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Taiwan region.
The carnival runs from Aug. 12 to Aug. 17, according to the official schedule. Activities such as competitions, visits and exchanges will be arranged during these six days.
The opening ceremony of the roller hockey carnival featured youth figure-skating performances, lion dance and martial arts with the theme "one family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait".
"I hope my team will win the first place and I become the top scorer," said Yang Geng-you, a teenage athlete from the Roller Hockey Committee of Tainan City Sports Federation.
"I come from Taiwan, the 'treasure island' of our country. I have brought teams to the mainland many times. Both players and their parents enjoy the travel and feel that our compatriots are very welcoming, as we are all from the same country," said Chen Po-han, Yang's coach.
As a fast-paced and exciting sport, roller hockey focuses on developing teamwork, psychological resilience and social skills. Competitions such as this tournament attract athletes and coaches from both sides of the Taiwan Strait for further exchanges and learning.
"We hope to lead the cross-Strait exchanges in more areas than just roller skating. We may also have the opportunity to bring our team to Taiwan to compete, and hope that people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait will collaborate in more areas," said Guo Jianliang, coach of the Miracle Roller Hockey Team in Guangzhou.
As more cross-Strait youth exchanges and cooperation take place, Guangzhou has turned to a preferred destination for Taiwan compatriots to study, work and corporate, leading the communication and integration in the Greater Bay Area.
1st Cross-Strait Youth Roller Hockey Carnival kicks off in Guangdong
