Armenia Ice Hockey delight amid summer heat

Yerevan will host World Division III Championships to be held next spring, according to the Ice Hockey Federation of Armenia.

The Federation’s Vice-President Hayk Jaghatspanyan told ArmeniaNow that preparations were being made for an official announcement of the details of the event scheduled for April 2010 in which the Armenian capital will for the first time play host to an international ice hockey tournament.

(The main 16-nation IIHF league (including the world’s leading ice-hockey nations) is followed by three divisions, Division III being the lowest. Each division is subdivided into two groups – A and B that have an equal status. In 2010, Armenia will be in Division III Group B.)

Armenia has been a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) since 1999. Currently, its main men’s team is officially ranked last among 48 participating nations.

(See full rankings here: http://www.iihf.com/channels/iihf-world-championship-oc09/home/world-ranking.html).

Last year Armenia was suspended from IIHF competitions for one year after being found at fault for entering numerous ineligible players during U-20 and men’s World Championship events.

Armenia, according to the information available on the IIHF official website, boasts a total of 575 ice hockey players (180 at junior level), including 395 male players, as well as two indoor and three outdoor rinks.

Armenian Ice Hockey Federation President Karen Khachatryan told ArmeniaNow that the figures posted on the IIHF website refer to the number of Armenia players of all times, including current and retired ones. He said that at present the total number of Armenian ice hockey players reaches 125 or more.

Khachatryan confirmed that Armenia has three outdoor rinks - one in Vardenis, one in Gyumri and one in Yerevan (Swan Lake near Opera House), and two indoor rinks in Yerevan – the Karen Demirchyan Sport and Concert Complex and the figure-skating arena in the Shengavit district where there is also an ice hockey section.

“The rink at the Sport and Concert Complex is in excellent condition, meets international standards and is suitable for hosting an international ice hockey event,” Khachatryan said, adding that the rink in Shengavit still needs repairs.

After a fiasco in the 2005 World Division III Championships, including a 0-48 loss to Mexico, Armenia improved a little, achieving several victories, including over Ireland (6-0) and Luxemburg (10-6) in 2006. It was also that year that Armenia achieved its highest place in the Division, finishing third in the five-nation group, just outside the promotion spot.

Armenia’s rivals in 2010 IIHF Word Champion Division III (Group B) will be North Korea, South Africa and Mongolia. (Dates April 12-18, 2010)

The tournament in Division III Group A will be held in Athens, Greece (Luxembourg, Greece, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates).

For full schedules visit: www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/championships/world-championships.html

More information on this sport in Armenia is available on the Federation’s website at www.armenianhockey.com

Soccer

Two soccer clubs representing Armenia have played their opening matches in a new Europa League competition that came to replace the old UEFA Cup this season.

Banants and Mika were in action against Bosnian Shiroki Brieg and Sweden’s Helsinborg, respectively on Thursday night.

Playing at home Banants lost to the Bosnian club 0-2.

Mika, playing away, lost to the Swedes 1-3.

The second-leg games are scheduled for next Thursday, July 9.

Meanwhile, the third Armenian club in Europa League, Gandzasar, as well as champion Pyunik in the 2009/2010 Champions League will start in the middle of July from the second qualifying rounds of their respective tournaments. Gandzasar’s opponent is Dutch NAK Breda and Pyunik’s opponent is Croatia’s Dynamo Zagreb.

Domestically, in Round 14 of Armenia’s Premier League (completing the first half of the 28-round championship), Pyunik, in a home game, beat Mika 3-0 and are now a point ahead with a game at hand. Elsewhere, Gandzasar beat Shirak 2-1, Banants beat Kilikia 2-0 and Ararat suffered their 13 defeat in as many games this season to Ulis – 0-3.

The league will resume on July 25.

(Source: Football Federation of Armenia)