Underwater hockey becomes a new trend in Chengdu

Underwater Hockey (UWH) is a globally played limited-contact sport in which two teams compete to maneuver a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool into the opposing team's goal by propelling it with a pusher.

Players wear a diving musk, snorkel and mouthguard, fins, gloves, a hat with earguards and carry in one (either) hand a short stick for playing the puck.

Zhang Zhe, who once studied in Singapore, set up an underwater hockey team in Chengdu. It is also the first underwater hockey team in China. The team members have increased from two to over 50 in six years.

One of the difficulties for the popularization of underwater hockey is that there is limit number of swimming pools that meet the requirements. Despite the difficulties, this sport develops gradually across the country. Following Chengdu, underwater hockey lovers from Beijing, Shanghai, Nanning, Guangzhou, Dalian and Handan have also established their teams.