Chizhovka Arena hosts first Christmas Ice Hockey Tournament matches

4 января 2017

By Alexei Adashkin: The 13th Christmas International Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament for the Prize of the Belarusian President is a special and landmark event for Belarus. As pointed out by President Alexander Lukashenko during its opening ceremony at Chizhovka Arena, the tournament is the largest in terms of the number of participating countries. It features hockey players from 15 countries, including the winners of world championships and the Olympic Games, as well as National Hockey League players.

Alexander Lukashenko wished the participants and spectators a merry Christmas and a happy New Year and declared the tournament open.  The first matches have already been held:  Switzerland has defeated the Balkan team with a score of 4-2, Russia has scored a 3-1 victory over Slovakia and Germany suffered a 2-13 defeat from Finland. A Belarus-UAE game finished about half an hour ago.

This year’s Christmas Ice Hockey Tournament debutant is the Balkan team comprising hockey players from Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and a goalkeeper from Turkey.

The Belarusian team has won the tournament nine times since its launch in 2005, while the Russians have celebrated victory three times.

The current tournament is featuring eight teams divided into two groups. Group A consist of Switzerland, the UAE, the Balkan team and the Belarusian President’s team, while group B includes Germany, Russia, Slovakia and Finland. The winners from each group will compete for the tournament’s gold.

Throughout its history, the Christmas International Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament has featured hockey players from 16 countries, becoming another opportunity to demonstrate Belarus to the whole world, as stressed by President Alexander Lukashenko at today’s official opening ceremony.

The tournament participants have for the fifth time taken part in the charity campaign Christmas Tradition established by the Presidential Sports Club and the Ice Hockey Federation. Throughout its history, the campaign has provided assistance to seven socio-educational centres in Minsk, the Children’s Town in Minsk’s Leninsky district, the Children's Village Istoki and the Radoshkovichi boarding school. This year, 25,000 rubles have been allocated to Molodechno foster home No. 2.

Ten more matches are scheduled to take place as part of the 13th Christmas International Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament for the Prize of the Belarusian President. Games featuring the Belarusian team will be broadcast live on the TV channel Belarus 5.