The host team of China charged to a 11-0 lead after the first period and trounced Macao, China 26-0. (Xinhua Photo/Lan Hongguang) Photo Gallery>>>

    CHANGCHUN, Northeast China, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Asian ice hockey powerhouses Kazakhstan, China and South Korea all enjoyed big wins against their opponents in their first appearances here on Saturday at the 6th Asian Winter Games.

    The reigning champions Japan was the first to enter the final four of the tournament and they struggled past DPR Korea in Group A by 6-1 while the amateur teams of Macao, China and Hong Kong, China were both sent out of top four after suffering their second straight loss in the group stage.

    The Kazakhstan team, runners-up in the last Winter Asiad, enjoyed a flying start by smashing the United Arab Emirates 38-0, the largest ever score here since the tournament opened on Friday.

    "The two teams are not on the same level," said Y. Sagymbayev, head coach of the Kazak team.

    Kazakhstan, the top ranked team in Asia and the 11th in the world at present, needed only 10 minutes to prove their strength and ambition by scoring eight times.

    "The Kazaks have to take the first place, have to," said Yury Aikou, coach of the UAE team. "I watched the game between Japan and DPR Korea. I would say that Japan are not a team for the first place. Kazaks are so much better."

    "I am happy with what my players did today. We are amateurs playing against professionals." He added.

    Japan beat Kazakhstan 7-2 in the men's ice hockey final at the Winter Asiad 2003 in Aomori, Japan.

    "Kazakhstan is the top team obviously and Japan the second, then comes China and South Korea," said Jarmo Jamalainen, China's head coach.

    The host team of China charged to a 11-0 lead after the first period and trounced Macao 26-0.

    "The two teams are not at the same level," said Jamalainen. "This match did not help much, so some of our players were a little bit lazy."

    "Our team has just been reshuffled for a week. We still have a big gap with the good teams," he added.

    Two Macao players were injured in the match, making the number of injured players up to 20 after seven matches in two days. Fortunately, all of them had just minor problems, like twists of parenchyma, according to the medical personnel here at the rink.

    In the final match of the day, South Korea eased past Hong Kong, China 11-0.

    There are 11 teams competing in the 6th Winter Asiad men's ice hockey tournament, which are divided into four groups with the top of each group vying for the medals.

    The final round of the group stage will be held on January 29 after the opening ceremony of the 6th Asian Winter Games on January 28.