IIHF Launches First Asian Ice Hockey League Management Course
The International Ice Hockey Federation held Asia's first league management training course in Thailand, attracting 27 participants from 14 Asian countries to learn standards for developing competitive ice hockey leagues.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the Thailand Ice Hockey Association are conducting the IIHF ASPG League Management Clinic from July 26-28, 2026 at SC Park Hotel. The program features Paul Carson, former deputy director of ice hockey development for Canada, and Klaus Grobner, secretary general of the German World Championship organizing committee. The course is overseen by Harald Springfield, IIHF sport development director; Kim Pedersen, IIHF sport director; and Wanchana Kesamsantnada Ayutthaya, Asia region ice hockey development manager.
The clinic has attracted 27 participants from 14 Asian nations: Bahrain, Hong Kong, Iran, Indonesia, India, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Singapore, Taipei, the UAE, and Thailand.
Wanchana Kesamsantnada Ayutthaya explained that this is a new IIHF initiative to elevate Asia's ice hockey standards by establishing properly regulated leagues. Current Asian leagues lack standardization, but the federation believes that strong league systems will naturally improve national teams. The program emphasizes age-appropriate competition formats—younger children playing on smaller rinks or in 3×3 formats, while players 16 and older compete with full body checking to learn proper contact rules. Competition timing must also align with international standards.
Wanchana noted that participating nations appreciated the course, which included instruction from personnel at English and German leagues. Germany particularly serves as a model, ranking ice hockey as the country's second-most popular sport after football, with a robust league system that keeps the German national team at the world's elite level. He observed that most Asian countries currently have only informal private competitions with varying rules, resulting in inconsistent standards.
Wanchana recommended that Thailand begin with a national championship organized by age divisions from youth to open categories, with full body checking starting at ages 16-18. He emphasized that developing young players through proper contact rules from childhood would better prepare them for international competition, reducing fear and hesitation when facing stronger opponents at world championships.
