IIHF inspectors satisfied with progress on Chizhovka Arena

Representatives of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and its commercial partner Infront Sports & Media, expressed their satisfaction on the work being done on Chizhovka Arena, one of the venues of the 2014 IIHF World Championship. This is one of the main results of the IIHF fourth inspection visit to Belarus held on 13-14 November, BelTA.

Mr Christoph Mauer, Director, Infront Sports & Media AG, said that he was impressed by the pace of construction on Chizhovka Arena. According to him, since 25 October when he last visited Minsk a lot has been done on this venue.

On the first day of the fourth inspection visit, the parties discussed the issues related to information technology, considered the assignment and location of premises on both arenas, reviewed the progress in the implementation of the instructions of the IIHF given during previous visits to Minsk.

On 14 November, the inspectors visited Minsk Arena, the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus, which will host the annual IIHF Congress during the IIHF World Championship in Minsk. A meeting at the Office of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation reviewed the issues that need to be addressed by the Organizing Committee, the IIHF and Infront Sports & Media in the near future.

At the end of the visit, the head of the international delegation, Mr Hannes Ederer, IIHF Deputy General Secretary, got familiar with the course of the reconstruction of Minsk National Airport.

The Directorate of the IIHF World Championship reported that the IIHF inspectors had not made any significant remarks on those matters which were the purpose of their visit.

The day before the start of the fourth inspection visit the IIHF representatives Luzia Baldauf and Martin Zoellner held a seminar for staff of the upcoming World Championship accreditation center in Minsk. They introduced them to accreditation equipment, showed it in action, and described the procedure for accreditation. Two accreditation centers will operate during the World Championship: one at Minsk Arena (indoor cycling track), and the other one at Chizhovka Arena (directly in the arena). The workshop was followed by a theoretical course and accreditation process training.