VIDEO Slovaks want to follow up on a great result from Beijing, Šatan fights for Slafkovského – Športky.sk

In the picture from left, the chairman of the organizing committee of the World Championships Peter Janovský, the mayor of Piešťany Peter Jančovič and the president of the Slovak Ice Hockey Association (SZĽH) Miroslav Šatan during the press conference of the Organizing Committee 2022 IIHF World Ice Championships Source: TASR / Lukáš Grinaj years in the Piešťany arena will try to return Slovak hockey in this category among the best. Spectators who can fill the stadiums to the last place according to the current anti-pandemic rules will have the opportunity to purchase collections of tickets for all matches of the Slovak national team at a discounted price. Originally, Spišská Nová Ves was supposed to be the venue of the 1st Division of the Under-18 World Championships, but due to insufficient accommodation capacity and the related demanding team logistics, not excluding the IIHF COVID protocol, it will eventually be played in Piešťany. Piešťany’s background is familiar to Slovak players, their home arena is part of a project of centralized training of players under 18 years of age. Almost 3 years have passed since the last performance of the Slovak national team at the World Championships of this age group. Losing with the Swiss team at the time meant falling out of the elite category. Plans for a quick return to the elite were crossed by Slovak coronavirus pandemics. The A-group tournament of the 1st Division of the Under-18 World Championships, which was originally scheduled to take place in Spišská Nová Ves in 2020, was canceled and did not take place a year later due to the unfavorable epidemiological situation. However, this year is more merciful to the organizers of sports events and Slovaks will finally be able to fight for promotion among the elite. The choices of Japan, Norway, France, Denmark and Kazakhstan will stand in the way of returning to the elite category for young Slovak representatives. “When the 18-year-old dropped out of the elite category, we started working to get it back as soon as possible. Organizing this tournament is one step that could help. Although the pandemic thwarted our plans, I believe the boys will return. among the elite will succeed and thus build on the great result of our senior national team at the Olympic Games in Beijing, “said the president of the Slovak Ice Hockey Association Miroslav Šatan. The Slovaks will compete in front of the domestic audience at a time when the relaxed anti-pandemic measures already allow for playing in front of full stands. “We are very happy that SZĽH chose our city for the World Cup. We believe that Piešťany will be a good host and the inhabitants and visitors will create a great atmosphere for players. Piešťany as a spa town has all the prerequisites for players to create the right background not only for accommodation but also We wish our representatives a lot of success in their struggles for advancement among the world’s elite, “said the Mayor of Piešťany, Peter Jančovič. Tickets for matches of the Slovak national team will be sold in two price categories. Spectators will pay 12 euros for a seat ticket, a standing ticket will cost 6 euros. For other matches, tickets will be sold at a single price of 2 euros. “We have also prepared a discounted price for fans for all matches in Slovakia. Those interested in seats will pay 50 euros and stand only 25 euros. We believe that we will make full use of the stadium’s capacity to help our representatives fight for the best. , “explained the chairman of the organizing committee of the World Championships Peter Janovský. The box office will be open directly at the ice stadium in Piešťany on match days, but tickets can also be purchased online. The organizers point out that the capacity of the stadium allows to sell only 300 tickets per stand, so those interested should not postpone the purchase of tickets. The organizers will announce the start date of the sale in the coming days. The organizers also want to bring events at the championship directly to the center – to the place where Piešťany people usually meet at the Christmas markets or the summer city festival. On Friday, April 8, there will be an afternoon program associated with the hockey players’ autograph signings, ticket competitions and a cultural program. Will Slafkovsky come? Under the optimal circumstances, Juraj Slafkovský, the most useful player of the Olympic Games in Beijing, could be the driving force behind the Slovak offensive. As the Under-18 Ice Hockey World Championships are not in the national team, its participation is uncertain. “We are working on it, but there must be cooperation between the club he is playing in. And I think we will be pulling for a shorter end in this,” said Šatan.2022 IIHF World Championship U18 – Division I, Group A, Piešťany SLOVAK MATCHES U18 (all at 19.00 CEST)
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April 17, 2022 SLOVAKIA – Kazakhstan Photo gallery to article Number of photos: 6 Author: © Zoznam Source: TASR