Kenya Ice Hockey team has wholesome reaction after being accepted into the IIHF

In fact, both Kenya and Bahrain were waiting on decisions regarding their associate member applications. For those who do not know, associate members cannot compete in the IIHF World Championship, however, they can do smaller events against other member countries. Despite the restriction, this is still a big deal for countries looking to grow their sport.

Well, on Thursday, it was confirmed that both Kenya and Bahrain were accepted into the International Ice Hockey Federation. In the video below, you can see Kenya's reaction to the news. It was incredibly wholesome and it just goes to show how excited this country is about the game of hockey.

Kenya has had its team since 2019 and in just a short amount of time, they have been able to grow significantly. Meanwhile, Bahrain has been around since 2010 and is consistently playing in the Arab Cup. While many would not associate these countries with hockey, it is encouraging to see participation from all over the world.

Only time will tell if more African and Middle Eastern countries decide to pick up the sport thanks to these recent developments. It would certainly be an incredible sight to see. We want hockey to grow and be popular everywhere. To see the IIHF grow in size only speaks to the growing popularity of one of the most unique games on earth.

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Source: Daily Faceoff
Kenya, Bahrain join International Ice Hockey Federation as newest associate members