A group of girls from a remote village in Kyrgyzstan have come together to form the central Asian country’s first all-female ice hockey team — Shapak. News of the team reached as far as Switzerland and they soon had professional hockey pads thanks to donations from the Kyrgyz community living there. With no other female teams to play against, Shapak honed their skills against male teams and the injuries suffered by some of the players left parents concerned. Now she’s come to play again.”Having shattered gender stereotypes in the country where the sport is dominated by men, the female team is now a firm fixture in local leagues. “My classmate, the coach’s daughter, suggested I come and try to play,” goalkeeper Zarina Karabaeva said.

Source: National Post February 07, 2020 02:37 UTC