Queen presides over final of World Para Ice Hockey Championship
Finland beat Thailand 1-0 after close battle to win the title
Her Majesty Queen Suthida attended the 2024 Bangkok World Para Ice Hockey Championships C-Pool on Saturday evening.
The Queen visited the Thailand International Ice Hockey Arena in Huai Khwang, Bangkok, to watch the final between Thailand and Finland.
The event, which began on November 20, was organised by the Sports Association for the Disabled of Thailand under royal patronage, in collaboration with the World Para Ice Hockey Federation (WPIH).
Athletes from Finland, Austria, Australia, and Thailand participated in the championship, which serves as a global ranking event to qualify for the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Milan, Italy.
The final was contested in three 15-minute periods. The Thais were on the offence in the intense and evenly matched final, but were unable to score. The first and second periods failed to break the 0-0 stalemate. Finland finally ended the deadlock in the third period, scoring the only goal of the game to win 1-0.
Her Majesty presented the winner’s trophy to the Finnish team, who will advance to the B-Pool qualification round for the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Milan.
To acknowledge the Queen’s strong interest and support for ice hockey, the International Ice Hockey Federation bestowed upon her the honorary title of the first female Ice Hockey Ambassador and presented her a commemorative plaque.
