Press releases

MINSK, 19 January (BelTA) – Belarus and Latvia have submitted a joint bid for hosting the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, Chairman of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation Igor Rachkovsky said at a press conference on 19 January, BelTA has learned.

“Minsk was at the heart of the ice hockey celebrations in 2014. That tournament is frequently mentioned at IIHF Congresses. The idea of hosting a championship jointly with Latvia was put forward in 2014. Belarus and Latvia are good partners in many areas. The Dinamo Minsk and Dinamo Riga teams have always been tough competitors delivering spectacular games. I am sure that we will do it. The team of professionals who are working on the project will not let us down,” Igor Rachkovsky said.

One of the key venues will be Minsk Arena that already hosted the final of the 2014 IIHF World Championship. Minsk Mayor Andrei Shorets said that the city is ready to host the best hockey players of the world again. “Bearing in mind our experience in the organization of international competitions, we would be happy if Minsk and Riga were chosen to host the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship,”Andrei Shorets said.

The Minsk Town Hall hosted a ceremony to sign the agreement on join organization of the 2021 sports forum on 19 January. Belarus and Latvia’s bid will compete with that of Finland. The final decision on the host country will be made during the IIHF Congress in Cologne on 19 May 2017.

Minsk played host to an Ice Hockey World Championship for the first time in 2014. Latvia was the host of the international tournament in 2006.