The exuberance of youth has been a key factor in the rise of the Singapore men's ice hockey team, capped by their third-placed finish earlier this month at the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia in Kuala Lumpur.

With an influx of younger players - the average age of the current 25-member squad is 27, down from 32 in 2017 - the team are fitter and faster, allowing them to play a higher-tempo game needed to be competitive on the international stage.