News & Events in Belarus

MINSK, 3 January (BelTA) – The 10th Christmas Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament for the prizes of the President of Belarus will be held in Minsk on 3-7 January 2014. The newly-built Chizhovka Arena will host the event for the first time, BelTA has learnt.

The 9,200-strong arena will host Group B – Russia and the Czech Republic. At the same time (15h00 local time) Germany and Slovakia (Group A) will meet at the Minsk Sports Center. Sweden will face Finland (Group C) at the Ice Palace in Pritytskogo Street.

The official opening ceremony will take place at the Minsk Sports Center at 18h00 on 3 January ahead of Belarus vs. France game (Group A). The final games of the first day will feature Austria vs. Switzerland (Group B) in Chizhovka Arena and Canada vs. Ukraine (Group C) at the Ice Palace.

One of the main surprises of the 10th Christmas Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament for the prizes of the Belarusian President will be a chance to win tickets for all matches of the Belarusian national ice hockey team at the 2014 IIHF World Championship. The event tickets will be presented to ten ice hockey enthusiasts as part of the Happy Fan campaign by the President’s Sports Club. In order to win the ticket to the world’s sport forum, ice hockey fans will need to demonstrate the devotion to the sport and understanding of its rules as well as quick wit and smartness. The tickets will be raffled in the first four days of the tournament during evening encounters at the Minsk Sports Center, and on the final day at Minsk Arena.

Twelve teams will be divided into three groups at the preliminary round:

Group A: Belarus, Germany, Slovakia, France;

Group B: Russia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland;

Group C: Canada, Finland, Sweden, Ukraine.

The winners of each group and the team with the best performance among runners-up will advance into the final stage.

Group A games will be held at the Minsk Sports Center. The center will also host the official opening ceremony of the tournament. Group B will play at Chizhovka Arena, Group C – at the Minsk Ice Palace. The final games and the closing ceremony will take place at Minsk Arena.

Belarus won the Christmas Tournament in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013. Russia became the winner of the tournament in 2007, 2011 by defeating the Team Belarus in the finals.

Christmas Tradition charity campaign was first held in 2013 as part of the tournament. Players of the participating teams visited orphanages and social shelters, making presents and providing financial assistance on behalf of the President’s Sports Club and the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation. The campaign will be continued this year.

Among the organizers of the forthcoming competitions are the Belarusian Ministry of Sport and Tourism, the Minsk City Hall, the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation, and the Presidential Sports Club.