The 2020 World Hockey Championship may be moved from Switzerland to Russia due to the coronavirus. This opportunity was allowed by the president of the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) Rene Fasel. According to the functionary, he has already discussed the possible transfer of the tournament with representatives of the Russian Hockey Federation.
“There are not many countries where we can move the tournament. It will be very difficult to transfer the World Cup, but there will probably be an opportunity to transfer it to Sochi, there is also an option with Belarus. Now we are beginning to study various solutions to the problem. We discussed with the FHR whether we can hold the championship in Sochi, but I can’t tell you anything until March 15, ”said Fasel TASS.
The IIHF President said that Russia itself had proposed to host the World Cup, and this idea seemed reasonable to him.
“The Russian side turned to us with a proposal of assistance in case the World Cup is postponed from Switzerland. I was in Russia recently, and we had a conversation that Russia is ready, if necessary, to host the 2020 World Cup. Of course, there will be little time left before the competition to decide on a possible transfer of the tournament from Switzerland but why not? If necessary, Russia can hold the World Cup, ”Fasel added in a conversation with RIA Novosti.
Zurich and Lausanne were supposed to host the main hockey tournament this year, it was planned to be held from May 8 to May 24. However, the spread of coronavirus calls into question the organization of competitions in Switzerland. According to the Federal Public Health Administration, over March 5, the number of people infected with coronavirus in the country will exceed 100. In addition, on Thursday the media reported the first recorded death due to the disease.
The country's authorities took extreme measures in connection with the situation and banned at least until March 15 all public events at which more than a thousand people are expected to attend. These included the Geneva Motor Show, the international watch fair in Basel, as well as numerous football and hockey matches.
Fazel emphasized that he did not intend to hold the World Cup without fans, but admitted that several teams or all players of the National Hockey League would refuse to participate in the tournament.
“We maintain close contact with the organizers and are trying to analyze the situation. We will wait until March 15, we will see how the situation will develop. The World Cup will not be held in the empty stands, I do not see the point. After March 15, we will have an IIHF council where we will discuss what will happen to the World Cup. It may happen that two or three teams cannot come. It may be that players from the NHL are not allowed to participate. The situation is very difficult, but our goal is to hold a tournament, ”Fasel added.
According to the head of the IIHF, if the World Cup is moved to Russia, it will be held in Sochi. Local ice "Big" and "Puck" will be just free from major events during May, when the world championship is usually held. Only on April 23 and 25 on the "Puck" will be held Eurochallenge matches with the participation of the national teams of Russia and Latvia on hockey.
Previously, the IIHF had to abandon a series of its competitions. On March 1, the lower division tournaments for women and juniors in Estonia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Luxembourg, Poland and Spain, which were to take place within a month, were canceled. The Kyrgyz authorities also independently canceled the men's world championship in the fourth division, which was planned in Bishkek on March 3-5. The IIHF has so far emphasized that the April and May competitions remain on the calendar, but the organization continues to monitor the development of the situation with coronavirus.
If the world hockey championship is moved to Russia, it will be held in the country for the fourth time in the post-Soviet era. Sochi has never hosted matches of such a tournament, only the 2014 Winter Olympics. At the same time, in 2023 the World Cup is already planned to be held in St. Petersburg.