Sticking with their passion

Taking a closer look at the profiles of the men's ice hockey team representing Thailand at the ongoing 9th Asian Winter Games, one can easily discern their diverse backgrounds from their names and faces.

Sweden, Switzerland and the United States are among the countries where some of Thailand's pucksters were first introduced to the sport.

Ken Kindborn, 29, the team captain, is of Swedish and Thai descent.

"We love our motherland. We may grow up or study elsewhere, but in the end, we come back. Despite our diverse backgrounds, we are all Thai," said Kindborn.

At 6, he moved with his family to Sweden, which is where he first picked up a hockey stick.

"My dad took me to the ice rink there, and I never looked back. I have loved ice hockey since that very first experience," recalled Kindborn.

He was drawn to the fast-paced and fierce nature of ice hockey games.

In his view, playing ice hockey also pushes him to become a better person.

"I have to be disciplined on and off the ice. To perform better on the ice, I need to develop better dietary and lifestyle habits," he explained.

"It's a team sport; I feel that the team is like a big family. I grew up with people around me all the time," he said.

Thailand currently has no professional ice hockey league. However, Kindborn and his teammates still embrace the sport with great passion, despite not receiving any financial reward.

Kindborn coaches junior ice hockey enthusiasts in Bangkok and practices with fellow national team players three times a week.

The players have to manage their commitments to both national team events and their respective jobs.

Kindborn's teammates, Patrick Forstner and Thanachai Sakchaicharoenkul, better known as Kin, both work in the entertainment industry, finding balance is even more challenging.