Riga, May 19, LETA. Latvia is ready to take part in the 2023 World Hockey Championship if athletes and functionaries from Russia and Belarus do not participate and if no other persons from these countries are involved in organizing the championship, the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) informed LETA of the National Sports Council on Thursday. ).
At the meeting of the Sports Council today, the intention of the Latvian Hockey Federation to organize the 2023 World Hockey Championship in cooperation with the Finnish Hockey Federation was evaluated. Russia was originally entrusted with the organization of the championship, but its rights were revoked and new potential organizers were sought.
The Sports Council coordinated Latvia’s involvement in the organization of the championship, which would envisage that one subgroup match and two quarter-finals matches would take place in Riga.
If the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) decides to hold a championship in Latvia and Finland, the MES in cooperation with the Latvian Hockey Federation will prepare and submit to the government within three months of the decision on the necessary further action to organize the championship.
Harri Nummela, President of the Finnish Hockey Federation, has previously stated that Latvia and Finland are a safe place to hold the next World Hockey Championship.
The World Championships are currently taking place in Helsinki and Tampere. As the opportunity to host another world championship in Tampere came unexpectedly, Nummela said that a detailed budget for the tournament had not yet been drawn up, but that financial support would be provided not only by the Finnish government but also by Tampere and other tournament sponsors.
In April, the IIHF Council deprived Russia of the right to host the 2023 World Hockey Championship. The World Championships were scheduled to take place in St. Petersburg. The next championship will be decided at the IIHF Congress on May 26 and 27, and Latvia, together with Finland, has submitted its candidacy for the tournament.
The new host country will be confirmed at the annual IIHF Congress in Tampere during the final week of this year’s World Cup. The appointment of a new host country will be a priority for Congress.
