The Republic Ice Hockey Championship will be held in Bishkek.

With the onset of cold weather, Kyrgyz hockey players are preparing to hit the ice again in the republican championship. Applications for participation have already been submitted, but due to a lack of funding, the games are at risk of being canceled.

The Ice Hockey Federation has been operating in Kyrgyzstan for seven years, and its members have been performing quite successfully in international competitions, gaining recognition and the right to host regional events. For instance, in the spring of 2016, the Asian Hockey Federation decided that Bishkek would host the tournament called the "Asian Challenge Cup" for the second time. However, currently, only the Asian Hockey Federation has agreed to assist in its organization: sports officials and patrons in Kyrgyzstan are not interested in the fate of the "game for real men." As a result, even the holding of the Kyrgyz Republic Championship in ice hockey is under threat of cancellation. Given the rising prices in the republic and the lack of sponsors, not all teams that regularly participate in competitions were able to submit applications. Additionally, there is now a requirement for an extra fee to pay the City Ice Rink management for field rental during games and electricity.

Nevertheless, the title of champion will be contested.
- The competitions will take place from December 11 to 13, and six teams have already submitted applications. These include the hockey teams from the Issyk-Kul and Naryn regions, the Naryn "Ala-Too – Dordoi," and three teams from Bishkek: "Arstan," "Lokomotiv," and "Khan-Tengri," - said News-Asia Maria Urpi, the general manager of the Kyrgyz Ice Hockey Federation. - A meeting will be held on December 10 to decide which teams will play on which day and against which opponents. The number of teams may also change: some may lack the funding to accommodate players and travel to the capital.

It is worth noting that despite this situation, the federation is quite active in civic matters, not only hosting international competitions and winning them, gaining recognition, but also conducting social initiatives. For instance, on the eve of World AIDS Day, a match took place at the "Lokomotiv" sports complex in the capital between the Bishkek hockey teams "Arstan" and "Lokomotiv" under the slogan "Play by the rules: hockey - for life." "Arstan" won with a score of 8:3.

- The international slogan under which the match was held was created for World AIDS Day, and the main focus of this slogan is the aspiration for new generations free of HIV. Our ice hockey federation decided to join the fight for the health of future generations. This is our chance to show support and solidarity with millions of people living with HIV, - noted Anvar Omorkanov, the president of the Federation. - Scientific advancements have already been made in the treatment of HIV infection, there are laws protecting people living with HIV, but people sometimes do not know how to protect themselves and others, and discrimination remains a reality. Therefore, we say "no" to discrimination and new deaths from AIDS-related diseases. Let's play by the rules, let's play for life!

However, for now, the strength and finances for development and such noble causes are still insufficient for athletes without the help of the government and sponsors.