HONG KONG: Underwater hockey players held their breath as they somersaulted and dived towards a weighted puck at the bottom of a Hong Kong swimming pool, competing for first place in a sport often described as voluntary drowning.
The annual tournament, advertised as “physical hell,” attracted dedicated players from across Asia over the weekend.
“You have to choose when to use your breath and when not to,” Leo Lines, a Japanese-New Zealander competitor from Hokkaido, told AFP. “Anyone that’s got the puck, you know that they’ve got some level of suffering. I love that.”
How Underwater Hockey Works
Players wear snorkel masks and fins, keeping their heads underwater to follow the game. They surface for air only when necessary.
Each team fields six players, and there are no goalkeepers. Referees monitor the action, call fouls and send players to a penalty box for serious rule violations.
“You’re so into trying to succeed, trying to score the goal, that you forget about breath-holding and how tough it is,” Rita Frieske, a Hong Kong-based Polish academic competing in the tournament, told AFP.
Matches last 30 minutes and consist of two halves, with a three-minute break between them.
A Sport Built on Teamwork and Endurance
Despite its physical demands, underwater hockey has built a close-knit international community.
“It’s like that sadistic study that forces everybody to survive together and then you stick together for a long time,” Malaysian player Hui Chin Teoh said.
The sport, originally known as “octopush,” began in England in 1954. It was invented to help divers stay fit during the winter off-season.
Underwater hockey is not yet an Olympic sport, but the International Olympic Committee recognises it. The sport made its Southeast Asian Games debut in 2019.
Organisers Hope to Reach a Wider Audience
Tournament organisers believe improvements in underwater camera technology could make matches easier for spectators to follow.
“The future of underwater hockey, thanks to social media, is more active now than before,” said Nowie Ignacio, head coach and tournament director.
“When I was playing, it was just word of mouth. Now there are a lot of avenues to see it,” he said, adding that competitions are now broadcast live.
Many competitors at the Hong Kong tournament are preparing for the Elite World Championship in France next April. Organisers expect teams from around 20 countries to take part.
“People are starting to understand what underwater hockey is,” Ignacio said.
“The dream is the Olympics.”
