Sticking by the ambition

Zoë Griffiths

• Last Updated: November 17. 2009 9:44PM UAE / November 17. 2009 5:44PM GMT

Crowds have been sparse for games in the Emirates Hockey League (EHL), the country’s new national ice hockey competition, but organisers are confident of creating a tournament to rival the best in the world.

Abu Dhabi Ice Hockey Team (ADIHT) have only played a handful of games but they have already decided they need a new name: they will be known as the Storms as soon as it has been formally approved by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).

For Ali Kaddas, technical director of the UAE Ice Hockey Association, the rebranding of the capital’s all-Emirati team is a bid to emulate the North American National Hockey League.

“The boys are still in the Abu Dhabi team, the national team and the Asian team of the UAE, but we are trying to push everybody to move forward,” he says.

“Canada have six teams, we want to follow in their footsteps. We are starting with one team. In Canada they have Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens and so on, now Abu Dhabi has the Storms. Maybe soon we’ll have more.

“We want to be the first Arabic country creating a power league. There are leagues in China, Japan, Thailand, but we want to be the one everybody looks to.”

Kaddas said he hopes to launch an all-Emirati league that could run alongside the EHL. He also said he is happy with the opening games in the new league.

“We’ve only taken our first baby step, we’re not even crawling, but we are going to step up on our feet and skate hard. In 10 years you never know what may happen,” he says. “The league is playing two games a week successfully. After the first 10 games there has been no slow-down. The players are still going strong and still loving it.

“There are not many people watching as yet, but it has not been advertised or televised. We want to see how the first year goes. If it goes well we will let everybody know what we are doing and look for a sponsor.

“There have been mistakes such as schedule timing and fewer referees than we need, but these are things we can sort out this year before we present the league on a large scale.”

Dubai Mighty Camels have a firm grip on the top of the table, not having dropped a point.

Following a convincing 5-0 win over the Al Ain Ice Hockey Team on Monday night, ADIHT – soon to be Storms – will play host to the third annual Capitala Cup Abu Dhabi International Ice Hockey Tournament at the capital’s Zayed Sports City ice rink this weekend.

Twelve teams will compete in the three-day round-robin style tournament from tomorrow, with clubs from Qatar, Kuwait and Oman joining teams from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain in three divisions.

“It’s a good experience for all the teams, especially the Emiratis,” said ADIHT defender Mohamed Aref. “There will be some very good expats playing. It’s good experience for the Emirati players to compete against these strong players.

“Soon we will be playing in the World Championship so we need as much experience as possible.”

Aref has been impressed by the progress of the Emirati players since the EHL began last month.

“At first we were losing to the Al Ain Vipers 5-2, but now we can draw against them,” he said.

“We still need to work on our fitness, but we’ve never played so many games and fitness will come.”



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