China men's ice hockey team sent the all-amateur Chinese Macao out of the top four by a proleptic win of 26-0 in their first match at the 6th Asian Winter Games on Saturday. (Xinhua Photo/Li Yong) Photo Gallery>>>

    CHANGCHUN, Northeast China, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- China men's ice hockey team sent the all-amateur Chinese Macao out of the top four by a proleptic win of 26-0 in their first match at the 6th Asian Winter Games here on Saturday.

    The host team, made up of all professionals, flied to an 11-0 lead after the first 20-minute period and gave the Macao team their second loss in two group matches.

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

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

    China ranked the 28th in the world and the third in Asia behindKazakhstan and Japan.

    "Kazakhstan is the top team obviously and Japan the second, then comes China and South Korea," said Jamalainen. "We want to beat South Korea, and Japan also. And I want to beat Kazakhstan."

    However, the Winter Asiad is not a big and real test for the Finlander.

    "Our goal this year is the World Championships Group B tournament, and this is just a preparation for that," said Jamalainen.

    Reigning champion Japan struggled past DPR Korea by 6-1 while Kazakhstan smashed the United Arab Emirates 38-0 in the earlier games. Japan has secured a berth in the top four as there is only two teams in Group A.

    The men's ice hockey, featuring 11 teams, is the first tournament to kick off at the 6th Winter Asiad which officially opens on Jan. 28.