2016 Ankara Cup: Georgia wins ice hockey tournament

Georgia's National Ice Hockey Team has been crowned the champion of a Turkish tournament on Monday after beating their opponents over three days of matches in capital Ankara.

Georgia were one of three teams involved in the 2016 Ankara Cup competition, with hosts Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina also taking part.

Running from June 25-27, the tournament was organised to celebrate the opening of a new ice hockey rink in Turkey's capital.

Georgia defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina in their first match of the Ankara Cup on June 26. Photo from Tamuna Beridze/Facebook.

The Georgian national team won the competition after defeating both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey with a large margin of points.

The tournament opened on June 25 with Turkey defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 9-1.

The team from the Balkan region also lost to Georgia on the second day of the Ankara Cup. Georgian players dominated the match which ended with a score of 14-2.

The Georgian team's second and final fixture of the competition was against hosts Turkey. Georgia won the game 8-1. Photo from Tamuna Beridze/Facebook.

The decisive game of the competition saw Turkey face Georgia on June 27. Georgia claimed the win and the trophy by defeating Turkey 8-1.

Georgia's success at the tournament follows their silver medal-winning performance at the 2015 International Ice Hockey Federation World Division III Championship, which was also held in Turkey. Seven national teams including those from Hong Kong and Bosnia and Herzegovina featured in the competition.

Georgia also enjoyed wins in their recent Ice Hockey World Cup matches against Hong Kong, Luxembourg and South Africa.

Having joined the International Ice Hockey Federation in 2009, Georgia is currently developing its potential in the sport. Currently about 500 male, female and youth professional players are registered in the country.