Asiasports' chief operating officer Tom Barnes with one of Hong Kong's junior ice hockey players

Sports enthusiast Tom Barnes feared he would have to leave behind his beloved ice hockey when he moved from Washington to Hong Kong in 1993 - until a chance encounter gave him the idea to turn his passion into a business. Now, as chief operating officer of sports management company Asiasports Limited, he is the hottest man on ice in Asia, and preparing to open Hong Kong's first ice rink of international standard.

"I moved to Hong Kong from Seattle, US in February 1993 with my fiancee Cara, who had a married sister living in Hong Kong.  Cara and I were both looking for a career change and for a new adventure together.  So we thought, why not, we're young and we had a free place to live until we get settled and find work.  Cara had her teaching certificate so she started teaching within a month of relocating, and it took me about 10 weeks before I started working for the STAR TV Network doing programme research for the Sports Channel.

One day while hiking on Lantau Island I noticed a young man wearing a polo shirt that had the Can Am Ice Hockey Association - Hong Kong logo the front. For the rest of the hike, we talked about hockey and how they played once a week on Monday nights at Cityplaza.  I was of course very excited, having played since the age of six culminating at college level at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  

Branding potential

I first began to think about the possibility of a business opportunity when I was still working for STAR TV and volunteering my time organising Hong Kong's 1st and 2nd International Tournaments in 1994 and 1995, along with creating Hong Kong's first domestic ice hockey league in October 1995.  I saw the potential for sponsorships (branding at the ice rink in a public shopping mall) and the potential for increase in player participation.
 
Asiasports Limited was incorporated in July 1996. We started with only 40 adults and now we have over 700 men, women and children playing the game here in Hong Kong. In our first season (1995 - 96) we had four teams playing a nine-game season.  Now, we organise 24 adult teams and 12 youth teams playing an estimated 500 games per season.  That is a lot of ice hockey for Hong Kong.

Asiasports Limited has also started manufacturing one-piece carbon fibre hockey sticks in southern China, for distribution to North America and throughout Southeast Asia. 
 
It was fairly simple setting up the company.  At the time we only had one employee - myself - and the company held my work visa for the first seven years until I became a permanent resident.  We used a business centre to set up the company, apply for the name, issue share certificates and handle all the other paper work at a cost of less than HK$15,560 (US$2,000).
 
My vision is to have multiple ice rinks in all the major cities across Asia where leagues compete against one other at both the local and regional level.  With new rinks being built all over Asia (Guanghzou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Taipei, Manila, Macau and Singapore) ice hockey is definitely starting to sprout seeds from all the grass roots programmes we have put in place all over the region.  
 
A stage for major events

Hong Kong is ideally placed to be a regional hub for ice hockey competition. We have qualified coaches, referees, scorekeepers and overall infrastructure. No other city or country outside of Japan has hosted more hockey games in the past 10 years.

Now that Hong Kong is building its first international standard ice rink, the city will be able to bid to host major events in the sports of figure skating, short track speed skating and ice hockey.  Hong Kong will also be able to bid to host the Chinese National Championships in these sports as well. 

Business aside, Cara and I also enjoy the lifestyle in Hong Kong. It is a great place to raise a family, and a central point for visiting other cities in the region. Hong Kong has a great buzz and things happen here at a very fast pace.

I guess since arriving I have been basically trying to re-create my North American sporting environment, which is unfamiliar to 90 per cent of the population of over six million. This leaves lots of room for opportunity. If I can sell ice hockey in Hong Kong, then I feel I can do anything.

Related link
Asiasports Limited