Amputee Ice Hockey Wins Big

After the first amputee hockey game of the Czech team against the joint Russian-Finnish team (in red uniform), Prague, October 14 of 2003

The 2004 World Championship of the International Standing Ice Hockey Federation (ISIHF) was held in Prague, Czech Republic, April 25 - 30. Five countries fielded teams for the event. Winning the gold medal was Canada, the USA team won silver, Russia took home the bronze, Finland was awarded honorable fourth place, and the Czech Republic finished in fifth.

The Czech Republic, who hosted the event, became the fifth country to establish an Amputee Hockey National Association.

On April 26, ISIHF began its first congress to establish bylaws and elect officers. The newly established organization concluded its official business by two subsequent teleconference calls on June 8 and 22, after which they announced the newly elected officers: Mark Pitkin, President; Brent Clemens, Vice President for the Americas; Ville Waaramaki, Vice President for Europe; and Miroslav Kluc, Secretary.

Czech players visiting the Children Amputee Clinic in St. Petersburg, Russia, during International Camp, November 23 of 2003

The ISIHF considers this a very exciting time for the development of amputee standing ice hockey. A demonstration of the sport has been included in the official program for the 2004 World Congress of the International Society for Prosthetists and Orthotists (ISPO), slated for August 4, Hong Kong, China. "We are looking forward to the demonstration, which we view as an opportunity to introduce and further develop this soon-to-be Paralympic sport in Asia and Oceania," said Pitkin.

For more information on the event, please visit www.polyu.edu.hk/ispo2004