Ice Hockey UK official Faye Andrews officiated at the IIHF Women’s Challenge Cup of Asia in Malaysia last week.
Two separate events ran between 6th and 11th March, with both the top division and Division I taking place in Kuala Lumpur.
The tournament is for national teams in Asia who are yet to enter the world rankings, so therefore are not part of the World Championship structure.
Faye was part of a 13-strong team of officials which also included representation from Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Indonesia, New Zealand, Taipei, Russia, Singapore and Switzerland.
“It was an amazing experience from start to finish for a number of reasons,” Faye said. “The hospitality and facilities put on by IIHF and Malaysia Ice Hockey Federation were brilliant.
“I couldn’t have asked for a more warm welcome and they made sure that we wanted for nothing whilst we were there.
“It was a humbling experience to see women’s national teams, from countries that are traditionally non-hockey countries, wearing their nations jersey with pride and playing their hearts out in every game.
“You could really see how much every game meant to them and they played every shift like it was the Stanley Cup final.
“It was a really special experience from start to finish and a fantastic testament to all the hard work that has been dedicated to raising the profile of women’s hockey in Asia.
“I’m really proud and honoured to have been assigned this particular tournament because of that.”
Chinese Taipei won the top-flight event with three wins in three matches, while Malaysia were Division I winners on home ice.
