A group of people, many of which were Richmond residents, showed up at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) Wednesday with a 20-car fleet, flowers and a banner to give a warm welcome to the national para hockey team from China.
The team was staying in Richmond on Wednesday before flying to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan the next day to attend the 2023 World Para Ice Hockey Championship, which will take place May 28 to June 4.
“My friends and I heard the team was arriving today and decided to come out to support them…It’s the least we can do to give them a very warm welcome to our city,” said Sam Chen, one of the volunteers.
“I am a hockey fan and I’m also very supportive of the paralympic sports. I think it’s very important to keep pushing the boundaries of what sports do.”
The volunteers welcomed the team with a Chinese-language banner stating “Welcome Chinese para hockey team to Canada to attend the World Para Ice Hockey Championship” before driving the athletes to their hotel in Richmond.
