| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Belarus |
| Venue(s) | 2 (in 1 host city) |
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2014 IIHF World Championship will be hosted by Belarus in its capital Minsk.
On May 8, 2009 the Belarusian bid was successful and got 75 votes in the race for hosting the 2014 IIHF World Championship. The application with the slogan “Welcome to the young hockey country” beat out those from Hungary (24 votes), Latvia (3), and Ukraine (3).[1]
The two main venues listed as hosts for the ice hockey teams are Minsk-Arena (capacity around 15000) and Chizhovka-Arena (capacity around 8000). The larger arena was completed and opened in 2010, whereas the smaller one is under construction and is expected to be finished in 2012.[2]
The selection of Belarus has hosts caused some controversy. On April 11, 2011, United States Senator Dick Durbin and Representative Michael Quigley urged the IIHF to move the World Championships to another location, citing concerns over the authoritarian government of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. Lukashenko's actions have resulted in numerous sanctions placed on himself and 157 of his associates by the European Union and United States. Senator Durbin and Representative Quigley were supported by former Slovak ice hockey player and current Member of the European Parliament Peter Stastny.[3]