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Jun 14 2024

From The Ice Rink To The Temples

By Japan No Comments
Ticket in hand, sharpened skates, sticks ready and a heart wide open. It's a fresh reunion of the Friendship League.  Embarking on a brand new adventure, it's all about the thrill of diving into the unique and indescribable Japanese culture.  Suddenly, the airport is buzzing with oversized bags, long sticks and different languages. Different faces, unfamiliar words, handshakes, hugs, kisses from both cheeks. Tokyo airport is witnessing the beginning of the tour of Japan's subways and the emblematic streets of one of the most impressive cities in the world.  For…
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Aug 16 2022
The Future of Hockey in Africa

How Many Countries Play Hockey?

By Hockey No Comments
How Many Countries Play Ice Hockey?   The Friendship League has now played hockey in 6 countries, with many more destinations planned for the near future. People are often very surprised to learn that some of these destinations, including Kenya and Turkmenistan, have ice at all - let alone full ice hockey programs. But the truth is, ice hockey is far more common around the world than you might think. The game is played regularly across 6 continents and in some of the countries that you’d least expect. In this…
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Feb 10 2022

Will the Friendship League run trips for other sports besides hockey?

By The Friendship League No Comments
We’ve had a fair amount of our followers reach out to us over the past few weeks asking if we would ever consider running trips to our unique destinations to play their favorite sport.  Interestingly, the somewhat niche sport of box lacrosse has prompted the most inquiries. This was great news to Friendship League Manager Scott Howe, who grew up playing box lacrosse and considers it to be one of his favorite sports. The truth is, we would love to grow the Friendship League and host events for a broad…
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Nov 29 2021
How a Trip With the Friendship League Helps Grow The Game

How a Trip With the Friendship League Helps Grow The Game

By Hockey No Comments
In the early days of the Friendship League, our primary ambition was to help bring the Special Olympics to North Korea. Hockey (at that point) served mainly as a platform to develop relationships with the North Korean sports community.  Lucky for us, our strategy of using sport as an engagement tool worked quite well – hockey turned out to be an excellent tool for creating dialogue with the reclusive government in Pyongyang. After a few runs of the Pyongyang Ice Hockey League, we’d developed sufficient connections and trust locally to…
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Aug 01 2021
The Future of Hockey in Africa

The Future of Hockey in Africa

By Africa, Hockey No Comments
In February 2013, I (FL Manager Scott Howe) had been living in East Africa for a few years when I heard rumors of ice hockey being played in Nairobi. I’d had miscommunications in my previous travels that resulted in disappointment, so I kept my expectations low. “Every Thursday night at the Panari Sky Centre” I was told. Much to my surprise, there was an ice rink…..but no players. I spent the evening teaching my two Kenyan friends how to scrimmage and then never really thought much more about it. Fast…
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Jan 15 2018
I Work with North Korea and won’t be Stopping – Here’s why

I Work with North Korea and won’t be Stopping – Here’s why

By North Korea No Comments
Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, is a far cry from the bleak, grey fortress envisioned by most Westerners. Streets are lined not just with pro-party slogans but with trees; bright green and blue paint adorn the walls of countless apartment blocks. It might not be an ideal travel destination for the average Canadian, but in March of 2016, I found myself in a Beijing hotel going through the pre-Pyongyang checklist as I prepared for my third trip to the secluded city. Visa? Check. Bags packed? Check. Reading materials deemed…
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