Hong Kong thrashed Kuwait in a Beijing 2022 ice hockey qualifier in Sanya ©IIHF

Hong Kong started their qualifying campaign for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games by thrashing Kuwait on the Chinese island of Hainan.

Hong Kong overwhelmed their opponents 12-0 at the TUS Ice And Snow Park in Sanya, while Chinese Taipei edged past Thailand 5-3.

The four teams in Group O are aiming for the top position in the single round-robin tournament.

Achieving this would book a place in the second round of the qualification for Beijing 2022, alongside the winner of Group N, consisting of the United Arab Emirates, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kyrgyzstan and Luxembourg.

Chinese Taipei are set to take on Kuwait next, while Hong Kong will aim to record another victory against Thailand. 

Hong Kong were the original hosts of Group O but it was moved by the International Ice Hockey Federation due to the  continuing unrest.

Group N begins in Luxembourg is set to begin tomorrow.

The UAE are scheduled to play Kyrgyzstan and Bosnia and Herzegovina take on the hosts.