The Singapore Ice Hockey Association (AIHA Singapore) is a
non-profit organisation
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
that has been running the National Ice Hockey League of Singapore (NIHL Singapore) since 2000, hosting ice hockey tournaments in Asia since 2001, and funding several developmental activities over this time. The association is funded by player fees and private sponsorship.
History
In 1988, an ice skating rink was built in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
by a private investor;
Fuji Ice Palace in the outskirts of the City Central. In the mid-1990s the Fuji Ice Palace> found a new location at
Jurong East Entertainment Center (near the
Jurong East MRT station
Jurong East MRT station is an elevated Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) interchange station on the North South (NSL) (which terminates at this station) and East West (EWL) lines in Jurong East, Singapore, operated by SMRT Trains. It is located at th ...
) where it has operated until 2008. By 16 October 2008, Fuji Ice Palace had ceased its operations. By the year 2012, three more ice skating rinks have been built. Namely, Kallang Ice World,
Marina Bay Sands and The Rink @ Jcube, in which The Rink @ JCube stands on the previous location of the Fuji Ice Palace. In 1997 a local league was started at Fuji, organized by the Ice Hockey Association, Singapore (IHAS)) with six teams. Due to the high costs for individual players, the league shut down after one year of operation. Between that time and the formation of the AIHA and NIHL in late 2000, "pick-up" sessions of informal games were organized by various local and expatriate players. The Canadian Association of Singapore has also run various hockey activities over the years, most recently a comprehensive youth hockey program since at least 1997.
The National Ice Hockey League of Singapore and its parent body, the Amateur Ice Hockey Association (Singapore) were the brainchild of Greg Blakney, a longtime Asian and Singaporean resident. Greg had a vision of creating a comprehensive infrastructure for developing hockey in Singapore, from bringing together the top players on the island (locals and expats) to play in the NIHL, to helping recruit and develop local talent. The league has grown steadily since inception, spending many thousands of dollars on developing the sport of hockey in Singapore along the way. It has only been since the creation of the AIHA and NIHL, that Singapore has had the foundation on which to build a meaningful national ice hockey body.
References
External links
Amateur Ice Hockey Association of Singaporeat IIHF.com
National Ice Hockey League of Singaporeofficial website
National members of the International Ice Hockey Federation
Ice hockey governing bodies in Asia
Ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
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