IIHF Satisfied with Arena Progress for World Championship in Latvia
In light of recent media reports regarding possible re-allocation of the 2006 IIHF World Championship to another country, the Organizing Committee of Latvia 2006 and the appointed building entrepreneur are underway with the construction of the arena in Riga, which will be the main site of the 70th IIHF World Championship.
Just back from a site visit in Riga, the IIHF’s General Secretary Jan-Ake Edvinsson was very satisfied with the presentation done by Kirovs Lipmans, the President of the Latvian Ice Hockey Association.
'I was at the building site and the construction of the arena is definitely underway', reports Jan-Ake Edvinsson. 'The ground was poled and the construction people were just waiting for the ground to stabilize before the construction of the actual arena body would start.'
'The Finnish building entrepreneur, who also was involved in the Hartwall Areena project in Helsinki, is applying the same construction technique that was used for the arena in St. Petersburg which was the site of the 2000 World Championship in Russia', says Edvinsson.
'In general, I have only positive things to say from my stay in Riga', says the General Secretary.
Although the financing of the arena project is not yet fully secured, the IIHF received assurances by Mr. Kirovs Lipmans that the Latvian government will in the next few weeks issue state guarantees, which would secure the completion of the arena in time for April 2006.
The 2004 IIHF World Championship (26 April – 9 May) will be played in Czech Republic (Prague and Ostrava), while Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria will be organizing the 2005 IIHF World Championship.
For further information:
Szymon Szemberg
IIHF Information & Media Relations Manager
Brandschenkestrasse 50, 8002 Zürich, Switzerland
0041-1-562 22 75 (direct), 0041-79-774 07 11 (mobile)
0041-1-562 22 39 (Fax)
szemberg@iihf.com
www.iihf.com
Just back from a site visit in Riga, the IIHF’s General Secretary Jan-Ake Edvinsson was very satisfied with the presentation done by Kirovs Lipmans, the President of the Latvian Ice Hockey Association.
'I was at the building site and the construction of the arena is definitely underway', reports Jan-Ake Edvinsson. 'The ground was poled and the construction people were just waiting for the ground to stabilize before the construction of the actual arena body would start.'
'The Finnish building entrepreneur, who also was involved in the Hartwall Areena project in Helsinki, is applying the same construction technique that was used for the arena in St. Petersburg which was the site of the 2000 World Championship in Russia', says Edvinsson.
'In general, I have only positive things to say from my stay in Riga', says the General Secretary.
Although the financing of the arena project is not yet fully secured, the IIHF received assurances by Mr. Kirovs Lipmans that the Latvian government will in the next few weeks issue state guarantees, which would secure the completion of the arena in time for April 2006.
The 2004 IIHF World Championship (26 April – 9 May) will be played in Czech Republic (Prague and Ostrava), while Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria will be organizing the 2005 IIHF World Championship.
For further information:
Szymon Szemberg
IIHF Information & Media Relations Manager
Brandschenkestrasse 50, 8002 Zürich, Switzerland
0041-1-562 22 75 (direct), 0041-79-774 07 11 (mobile)
0041-1-562 22 39 (Fax)
szemberg@iihf.com
www.iihf.com