Moskovsky Komsomolets: “There are no more questions”
Russia has scored a major victory in Slovakia. As in 2007, Moscow and St Petersburg will host the 2016 Ice Hockey World Championship. Part of the games will be held in St Petersburg, rather than in Mytishchi near Moscow.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has joined the World Championship's Organising Committee.
They began saying back in September 2010 that Moscow will host the 2016 Ice Hockey World Championship. In October 2010, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin confirmed the rumours. He noted that Russia could hold the event in the best way possible and provide all the required government guarantees, and that it had every chance of winning the bid.
In December 2010, Rene Fasel, President of the International Ice Hockey Federation, paid a three-day visit to Moscow.
Fasel's visit left almost no doubts that Russia would come out on top. Fasel noted from the beginning that Russia was already prepared to host the event even now.
Denmark and Latvia also vied with Russia for the right to host the championship but quickly bowed out, after realising that they did not stand a chance against such a rival. Ukraine also decided to bid all of a sudden. This was rather surprising, given that Kiev had failed to find a single worthy arena last season for entering a team in the Kontinental Hockey League. The prudent Danes also decided not to confront Moscow head on.
Both Riga and Copenhagen have now decided to bid for the right to hold the 2017 Ice Hockey World Championship.
Alexander Polinsky, head of Moscow's Sports and Public Events Directorate, told the paper that Russia's victory was an outstanding event and a major holiday for the country and Moscow, and that he was very happy about this.
He said all of us had hoped for victory and realised that the Russian bid was quite strong.
He said Moscow and St Petersburg are two great cities with a ramified infrastructure, including hockey facilities. Our presentation emphasised Russia's rich hockey traditions and showed that so many Russians play hockey, Polinsky noted. All the required state guarantees were another plus, he added.
He said the organisation of the Ice Hockey World Championship meant that there will be sufficiently hard and painstaking work ahead. Numerous nuances should be heeded while organising this technically difficult event, Polinsky said. For us, this event will last three weeks, considering arrivals and departures, he added.
Polinsky said Russia had already won a reputation for itself in 2007. The International Ice Hockey Federation holds daily conferences during every international championship. On the second day of the 2007 event, Rene Fasel approached Polinsky, slapped him on the shoulder and said: "You are a lucky man. There are no more questions to you."
Mikhail Yevseyev
