The next major competition, canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, was the world hockey championship. It was to be held from May 8 to 24 in the Swiss cities of Zurich and Lausanne. The leadership of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) tried to the last to save the tournament, but in the end decided not to risk the health of its participants.
“I just lived the most painful moment of my career as head of the IIHF. Even if the health crisis weakened by May, it was not wise to wait so long. Our decision is based on simple common sense. All leagues are stopped, stadiums are closed. Now players can only ride stationary bikes in their basements, ”the Championship Championship quotes the president of the organization, Rene Fasel, with reference to Le Matin.
The decision on new dates will be made at the next IIHF Congress. Meetings are traditionally held during the World Championships, but this year it will also be rescheduled.
At the same time, Canadian analyst Darren Draeger said that the tournament schedule will shift by exactly one year, in connection with which the 2023 World Cup in St. Petersburg will be postponed to 2024. However, Fasel did not confirm this information, urging him to wait for the verdict of the congress.
In Russia, the abolition of the championship of the planet was met with understanding. The famous hockey player, and now the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Fetisov called it expected. According to him, in connection with the current situation, such decisions are made not at the level of sports organizations, but much higher - by the state authorities.
“For Fazel, this World Cup was a matter of principle, he is ending his presidency and in his homeland in Switzerland he wanted to say goodbye to big hockey. He must have weighed all the chances for this decision to the last, but it was the only one that could be taken in this situation, ”RIA Novosti quoted Fetisov as saying.
On March 17, the leadership of the Continental Hockey League (KHL) also suspended the Gagarin Cup. His further fate is still unknown, but the abolition of the World Cup may allow to complete the domestic competition.
“The early completion of the national team season is not a reason to postpone our affairs. Preparations for the next season have already begun. We thank the fans for their support, hockey players, coaches - everyone who works with our teams - for the painstaking work that we will definitely transfer to next year. At the same time, the hockey season is not over yet. We hope that the championships of Russia, children's and youth competitions will be played out, ”said Vladislav Tretyak, president of the Russian Hockey Federation (FHR).
Former coach of the Russian national team Vyacheslav Bykov reasoned about the form in which the championship of the planet could take place. In his opinion, the IIHF made the right decision, since holding such a significant event in the empty stands would not make sense.
“There were precedents when some matches were played without spectators. But this usually happened when someone was punished for something. And who are we punishing here? Why play the world championship without spectators? There is no logic in this, only we will punish ourselves. Let's give athletes the opportunity to get self-satisfaction, but playing without fans is wrong. Now it’s like a feast during the plague. Someone is celebrating, and someone is dying, ”Bykov is sure.
In turn, the bronze medalist of the 2002 Olympic Games, Andrei Nikolishin, recalled that due to the pandemic of the coronavirus and quarantine introduced in some countries, many athletes were completely deprived of the opportunity to fully train.
“The decision is expected, everything went to the abolition of the World Cup. In such circumstances, it was no longer advisable to go to Switzerland and play. Nobody is training, not preparing. Even if the IIHF decided to hold the competition anyway, under the current conditions, many teams simply did not go. What's the point? ” - said Nikolishin.
According to three-time world champion Valery Kamensky, the competition should be held after the situation with the coronavirus is resolved.
“Now the main task is to defeat this virus, then to conduct entertaining events, sports competitions. Our team always fights for the highest places, therefore, of course, everyone was counting on a good result. Moreover, in Switzerland we are always lucky, we always win gold medals. It's a shame that this happened, but this is life, we must accept it as it is, ”Kamensky quotes TASS.
In turn, two-time Olympic gold winner Alexander Kozhevnikov noted that such a decision should have been expected at the beginning of the epidemic, as the Swiss authorities are very serious about such situations. At the same time, he suggested that the abolition of the competition will negatively affect not only the sport.
“It’s easier for the Swiss to lose money than the people. They are terribly afraid of everything, so it was clear that they did not intend to take risks there. It's a shame for the whole sport, not just for hockey. For television in general, a nightmare sets in. Look what they are doing right now, it’s unbearable to watch. Everyone will be on the Internet, and television will kill itself, ”Kozhevnikov quotes the“ Championship ”.
At the same time, State Duma deputy Dmitry Svishchev suggested that the international federation hurry up with the cancellation of the World Cup. According to him, the competition could take place this summer.
“The last hopes that our hockey brothers had had fallen away. The news, of course, is unpleasant. The transfer of the tournament, in particular, to Sochi, to Russia, was discussed at a rather serious level. But probably now is not the time. The main thing is the health of athletes and fans. We are sympathetic to the situation. But I think that it would be better to postpone the World Cup to a later date than to cancel it, ”Sport24 quotes Svishchev.