Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 28 May (BelTA) – Thanks to the 2014 IIHF World Championship in Minsk, foreigners had an opportunity to learn about the Belarusian culture, Honored Coach of Belarus, former head coach of the Belarusian ice hockey national team Andrei Sidorenko told BelTA.

“Thanks to the championship, foreign people could get to know our culture. Walking around Minsk they could enjoy the architecture of the Belarusian capital, visit museums. Spending time in fan zones they could watch and listen to folk bands performing. When I paid a visit to Nesvizh and Dudutki, I noticed there were a lot foreign tourists there. I believe that very soon Belarus will be welcoming many tourists,” the honored coach said.

According to Andrei Sidorenko, he was very much impressed by the full stands of the arenas and a great variety of merchandise. “In the last two forums which were held in Finland and Sweden, the games saw very few fans. In Minsk even low-rating games were attended by many,” Andrei Sidorenko said.

The honored coach also praise volunteers who did a great job during the tournament.

Speaking about the matches of the Belarusian national team, Andrei Sidorenko noted that every player had grown up professionally. “We had really entertaining games. Perhaps it was the reason that the team was supported by people of other countries as well,” the athlete said.

The coach enjoyed the games of the Russian and French teams, too. “Team France surprised me. As soon as they reached the top division, they changed their psychology. They started battling for the place in the top eight. Team Russia are just great. They showed a stunning hockey in every match they played,” he said.

According to Andrei Sidorenko, all his friends who had an opportunity to attend the championship were happy with their visit to Belarus. “Fans enjoyed the games, the festive atmosphere in the capital and its friendly residents,” the coach noted.