Canada-Kuwait hold Friendship hockey tourney

Canadians celebrate 150th anniversary of confederation

Her Excellency Martine Moreau poses for a group photo with Kuwait Winter Games Club, Canada’s Moose Heads Team and with the event organizers.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 13: Below is the opening remarks of Her Excellency Martine Moreau, Ambassador of Canada to Kuwait.

“Good evening your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to welcome you all to tonight’s Canada-Kuwait Friendship Hockey Tournament.

Canada and Kuwait have enjoyed more than a half-century of strong and prosperous bilateral relations. During my time here, I have come to greatly appreciate how our countries share so many common values. This is reflected in not only our friendly relationship, but the genuine desire to enhance cooperation, strengthen bilateral commerce, progress shared expertise in various fields, and increase and broaden our people to people links. What came as a pleasant surprise to me is that we also share a common passion for Canada’s national sport, hockey.

2017 marks a very special year for Canadians as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of our confederation as a country. Tonight, we wish to mark this milestone with our friends in Kuwait, by building on these important people to people links through sports and our common love for hockey.

This is the very first friendship hockey tournament between Canada and Kuwait and we hope there will be more to come. Indeed, we will be looking forward to more opportunities for collaboration with the Kuwait Winter Games Club.

On that note, I would like to thank the Kuwait Winter Games Club and its president, Mr Fhead Al Ajmi, for their initiative and efforts in organizing this event and hosting us here at the Kuwait Ice Skating Rink. Further, I would like to thank Mr Jasem Al

Her Excellency Martine Moreau receiving

an award from the organizer.

Sarraf, goalkeeper of the Kuwait National Ice Hockey Team, and Mr Les Moskaliuk, from the Canadian Mooseheads Team for his work in the organizing committee and countless efforts in making this tournament possible!

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr Al Ajmi and the Kuwait National Ice Hockey Team for winning first place at the Asian Ice Hockey Tournament in Bangkok Thailand last week. Mabrouk!

So, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us to celebrate our Canada150 with a great night of Hockey! Let the games begin!

Thank you, Shukran.”

(Left to right): Photos taken during the awarding ceremony.