Press releases

MINSK, 28 March (BelTA) – The Olympic ice hockey qualifying tournament will take place at Minsk Arena in September 2016, Secretary General of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation Yaroslav Zavgorodny told media on 28 March, BelTA has learned.

According to Yaroslav Zavgorodny, the choice of the arena for such a serious tournament is the best of all. “The sales of tickets for the Olympic qualifying tournament that will take place at Minsk Arena in September will kick off on 31 March. The Federation has prepared a number of offers for fans. For instance, buy two tickets, get one free, and other bonuses. We hope fans will support our team,” he stressed.

The organizers will set up a hospitality zone as it was done in Minsk during the 2014 IIHF World Championship.

A logo of the forthcoming competitions was presented at the press conference. The emblem goes with the corporate look of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation: the movement of the puck around the rink. The combination of this style with the ornament creates a unique image.

The Belarusian national team plans to launch its preparations for the Olympic qualifying tournament in mid August. Dave Lewis’ men will play to games against Kazakhstan ahead of the qualifier. “There is also a high interest in the forthcoming tournament from TV representatives. TV companies from Denmark and Slovenia have already expressed their interest in broadcasting the games,” noted Yaroslav Zavgorodny.

The Olympic qualifying tournament will take place in Minsk on 1-4 September 2016. Dave Lewis’ team will compete for a berth in the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics against the teams of Denmark (1 September), Poland (2 September), and Slovenia (4 September).