In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the IIHF Council announced today that they have cancelled the 2020 IIHF World Hockey Championships in Zurich and Lausanne.
The 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been confirmed today by the IIHF Council. Story: https://t.co/N3rr4RucLT pic.twitter.com/uBQ9Uf8PVL
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) March 21, 2020
IIHF Cancels 2020 World Championships
Early Saturday morning, the IIHF Council declared that they have cancelled the 2020 tournament due to the coronavirus pandemic. IIHF President René Fasel commented by saying “This is a harsh reality to face for the international ice hockey family, but one that we must accept.”
As the days go by the impact of the coronavirus continues to grow. People are waking to reports of all sports cancelled. Borders shut down, travel bans imposed, and curfews implemented. As state and national governments all over the wold continuously battle the spread of the virus. EVERYONE must do their part. Announcing the cancellation of the IIHF World Championship has to happen.
IIHF Statement
“This is a harsh reality to face for the international ice hockey family, but one that we must accept,” said IIHF President René Fasel in a statement released to the media. “The coronavirus is a global problem and requires major efforts by government bodies to combat its spread. The IIHF must do all it can to support this fight. We have to set sport aside for now and support both the government bodies and the ice hockey family.”
What to do Next
The countries that are hosting the IIHF World Championship are scheduled through 2025. Leaving the possibility for relocation, or a later start date quite simply out of the question. With this cancellation of this year’s tournament, this not only hurts the teams and players but the host countries as well. Partners affected by the loss of this year’s tournament include the numerous sponsors throughout Europe. The Annual Congress held by the IIHF was to have taken place May 21st-23rd in Zurich, but is postponed until further notice.
Gian Gilli, general secretary of the 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey championship Organizing Committee also commented, saying “But of course, this is a huge disappointment for the committee. It is an exceptional situation for all concerned and it is now a question of resolving all the outstanding issues.”
The 2020 IIHF World Hockey Championships were to have taken place in Switzerland from May 8th through May 24th.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
