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International Ice Hockey Federation to reconsider decision to name Belarus as host of 2014 world championship

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) will reconsider its decision to hold the 2014 world championship in Belarus following multiple appeals from human rights groups and the public, Sweden’s daily Svenska Dagbladet reported with reference to IIHF manager Szymon Szemberg.

Mr. Szemberg said that the federation would revisit its earlier decision to name Belarus as the host of the 2014 event at a congress in Helsinki this May. A decision to this effect was made by the IIHF board.

Prominent Belarusian and foreign politicians, human rights defenders and other figures have repeatedly urged the IIHF to move the championship to a different country in protest against the persecution of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s political opponents and widespread human rights abuse in Belarus.

Speaking at an IIHF meeting in Zurich last week, President Rene Fasel expressed a high opinion of the progress of Belarus’ preparations for hosting the championship and said that not a single IIHF member had voiced any criticism, Svenska Dagbladet said. However, at a meeting the following day the IIHF board decided to reconsider the decision to select Belarus as the host country, the paper said with reference to Mr. Szemberg.

Those calling on the IIHF to move the 2014 world championship from Belarus to another country have included, among others, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, several other MEPs, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis, the late former Czech President Vaclav Havel, playwright Tom Stoppard, Lithuanian basketball legend Sarunas Marciulionis, Peter Stastny, a Slovak hockey legend who is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame.

Under the Belarus Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2011, signed into law by President Barack Obama on January 3, the United States will also call on the IIHF to suspend its plan to hold the 2014 championship in Belarus.

Belarus was chosen as the host nation for the championship in May 2009. It beat rivals Hungary, Latvia and Ukraine by a large margin in the first round of voting at an IIHF congress in Bern, winning 75 of the 105 votes. Mr. Lukashenka, who is known for his special love for ice hockey, described the IIHF’s decision as a victory of Belarus. “This is our victory as a token of gratitude to the Belarusians for what they do, despite everything, in the sport and the entire sports sphere, not only hockey,” he said. “Secondly, this is a big economic victory. Dozens of thousands of tourists will come to us from all countries of the world. Let’s speak frankly. Those will not be poor people, but well-to-do people, and we should make serious preparations for providing those people with a wide range of services for their money. This is a very good economic impetus to the development of not only our Minsk but also the entire [Belarusian] economy.”

Belarus previously lost two bids for the world hockey championship, to Germany in 2005 and to Sweden two years later.

The 2014 event is to be hosted by 15,000-seat Minsk Arena and an 8,000-seat arena that is being built in Minsk’s Chyzhowka neighborhood.

The Belarusian authorities plan to build 22 new hotels in Minsk and renovate 15 of the existing 28 hotels before the championship. //BelaPAN