Sticking with their passion

Forstner began playing ice hockey at a young age in Austria because he found it to be "one of the coolest sports".

He previously played for Austria's youth national team, but eight years ago, he moved to Thailand and made the switch to represent the country, currently ranked No 43 in the world, at senior level.

Now 31 years old, he is also an actor and model.

"For me, even after working 12 or 13 hours a day, I still make time to practice with the team at the ice rink," Forstner stated.

"If sacrificing some sleep means I can compete in the Asian Winter Games, I am willing to make that sacrifice because my passion lies in the sport."

In contrast to the others, Kin, a 20-year-old Chinese-Thai, cut his teeth on the ice rinks of tropical Thailand.

Kin explained how he was inspired by the senior players like Forstner: "I grew up watching these guys play, and seeing them represent the national team, I just wanted to be a part of it."

Kin was a three-time ice hockey champion in the Southeast Asia Youth Cup from 2017 to 2019.

He is also an emerging singer and actor in Thailand.

Last year, the fantasy romance drama The Hidden Moon in which he starred, even garnered him a group of Chinese fans.

The two Thai celebrities have also helped promote the winter sport in their homeland, as many of their fans would flock to their games and post video clips of ice hockey on their social media.

The pair also found that being ice hockey players could help them with their TV careers. "All my confidence comes from my sports experience. Being able to speak in front of people comes from the locker room. It all started since I was a kid playing in youth ice hockey games," said Forstner.

Often starring in action movies, the sport also helps him maintain a good physical condition.

"I learned from playing ice hockey how to handle pressure. When I am on TV, there is also a lot of pressure. The experience as an athlete helps me handle it much better," Kin added.

On Friday, they walked around in the cold temperatures of Harbin for over two hours. Kin shared photos on his Instagram account, which has more than 130,000 followers.

"Harbin has been doing a great job hosting this event. It's interesting to see the city covered in snow," he said.

"I think this event is creating a lot of friendships. It looks like we are yelling at each other on the ice, fighting against each other. Even though we got our butt kicked, it's fun to play against high-level teams here," said Forstner.

Contact the writer at xingwen@chinadaily.com.cn