Türkiye’s youngest ice hockey star sets sights on European glory

 Source: Daily Sabah

Türkiye’s 15-year-old Tan Nisan Göksal has become the youngest ice hockey player ever transferred to a European nation, signaling a bright future for both herself and her homeland in the world of ice hockey.

Known for their success in the Turkish league and their contribution to the national team, the Istanbul Pirates Ice Hockey Club is now beaming with pride over exporting young talent to Europe.

Tan Nisan Göksal, who rose through the ranks of the club’s youth system, has now made a significant move to Hungary, joining the Angels team.

During an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA) at Zeytinburnu Ice Island in Istanbul Göksal shared her aspirations and hopes for the future.

Göksal’s journey in ice hockey began at the young age of 5, as she recalled her early days skating along the Yeşilköy shore.

It was during one of her outings that she crossed paths with the players of the Pirates Ice Hockey team who were practicing on the rink, and that is when her love affair with the sport began at 6.

Clearly passionate about the sport, Göksal expressed her love for ice hockey and the exhilaration of being on the ice.

She emphasized the importance of family support in her journey, especially crediting her father for introducing her to ice hockey and fostering her passion for the sport.

Göksal’s talent was discovered by the Hungarians during a tournament in Hungary where she played alongside her Pirates teammates.

After a match, a member of the opposing team approached her father and expressed their eagerness to have the youngster on their roster.

When asked about what sets her apart from other players, Göksal pointed out her proficiency in skating, which eventually led to her potential being recognized.

She aspires to represent the Turkish national team, saying: “I’m currently part of the U18 national team. I also want to earn a scholarship to study abroad.”

The prospect of traveling frequently back and forth to play has raised questions about fatigue, but Göksal has acclimated to the routine.

She mentioned that while it was daunting at first, she has gotten used to it, and she prefers it because it allows her to continue her education in Türkiye.

Balancing her education with her athletic career is challenging, but Göksal manages with the support of her school.

She highlighted the importance of school support and understanding teachers, which enables her to continue her studies alongside her sports career.

Reflecting on her upcoming journey to Hungary, Göksal expressed her pride and gratitude while crediting the support she receives from her friends.

When asked about her advice to those curious about ice hockey, especially children, Göksal enthusiastically recommended the sport. “People do ask,” she said. “Yes, it is indeed an important sport. It is incredibly fun and action-packed. It is very fast, especially. You have to think on your feet. I highly recommend it.”

Her future goals include competing in the Youth Olympic Games (Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games) after their U18 team defeated Mexico in England. She expressed her belief in the potential of the younger generation in Turkish ice hockey and wishes to see both the national and senior teams reach greater heights.

Oman gets first women’s national ice hockey squad

By Mohammed Taha – Muscat Daily

In a historic development, the first Omani women’s national ice hockey team was unveiled on Thursday at FunZone in Muscat. This landmark moment is the result of years of dedication of officials and relentless determination of the team members who defied all odds and challenges to pursue their passion.

Present at the team launch was H H Sayyida Hujaija Jaifer al Said.

Overjoyed at the momentous occasion, Sharifa Ali al Aufi, Secretary of Oman Skating Sports Committee, told Muscat Daily, “There’s immense confidence and belief in this team. I’m elated that we can represent Oman and am part of this pioneering initiative.”

Sharifa envisions the team making Oman proud on the international stage, with aspirations of competing in the Women’s Ice Hockey World Cup someday. Sharing how formation of the team began in 2021, she informed that the effort was spearheaded by Saud Nasser al Aufi, Training and Development Manager of Oman Skating Sports Committee. The initiative began with selection of just four players.

After rigorous training and friendly matches in the sultanate, the team recently underwent further conditioning in Kuwait. Its mettle will soon be tested in an international tournament in the UAE being held from September 5 to 9.

“We stand steadfastly with our team, especially as it debuts in the UAE championship. It will be competing against teams from Mexico, the Philippines, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE,” Aufi informed.

However, the journey hasn’t been without challenges. Highlighting the lack of adequate training facilities in the sultanate, Aufi said, “We have only three small stadiums, none of Olympic standards.”

Additionally, lack of equipment and financial constraints posed hurdles. Having overcome all challenges, the team now has 28 dedicated players.

With a national team now formed, Aufi has his eye set on setting up more teams across the sultanate’s wilayats to popularise the sport. “To encourage more youth to embrace the sport, and host Arab, Asian and global tournaments, we need Olympic-standard ice hockey facilities.”

He extended his gratitude to FunZone and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, saying, “Their unwavering support enabled us to meet the challenge and establish the national team. Kudos also to the families of our players for their immense support.”

He wished the team success in its international debut later this week.

The Czech Ladies dominated the EHT in Finland with a single loss

Source: Cesky Hokej

After the preparatory camp in Chomutov, the Czechs presented themselves on the international stage in style. The bronze medalists from the last World Championship confirmed the calling card of the best European team at the Euro Hockey Tour despite the initial point loss. Against the Finns, they struggled for the lead from the very beginning, which they still held after half an hour of the game, mainly thanks to Denisa Křížová’s hat trick, but then the Suomi hockey players began to dominate, they overcame the Czech resistance with three goals, and Michaela Pejzlova’s last goal turned out to be only cosmetic in the end score adjustment. In the frantic end, the Czechs could no longer score and fell narrowly 4:5. “I don’t think they were much better. It was a classic up and down match. But they went to the goal more, had more shots and chances. They were probably better at this. We have to focus more on the ending,

But the Lionesses quickly put the first game behind them and won full points against the Swedes. Although the Tre Kronor girls quickly took a two-goal lead, Carly MacLeod’s selection produced a brilliant turnaround to celebrate a 4-3 win. “It was a good match for us. The Swedes flew at us, they were more active, which led to a few mistakes on our part, but I really liked how we were able to get back into the match,” praised the Czech coach.

The Czechs made up for the unsuccessful start against Sweden in the following duel. They confirmed their rising performance curve in the revenge against the home hockey players, who scored three goals in just the first quarter of an hour. “Our goal is always to start well, fast and play hard. Maybe only in the match against Sweden did the opponents overpower us in the first ten minutes. We are trying to have a good start, we managed to do that today,” Carla MacLeodová evaluated the game of the national team. Great shooting productivity and forward activity bore the desired fruit three more times, and after a 6:2 result, the Czech Republic avenged their opponents’ initial defeat.

Finally came the revenge against Tre Kronor’s selection. The Lionesses built a three-goal lead by the halfway point of the match, which the Swedes almost managed to match, but thanks to the excellent performances of both Czech goalkeepers, the national team celebrated a hard-fought victory 3:2. “I think we were able to create a lot of scoring opportunities. And that’s exactly what we want from the match. Sweden is a quality team. It took advantage of a few moments when we weren’t quite 100 percent. But our goalkeepers made a lot of good saves. I don’t take the fact that it was able to equalize with a single goal difference as a negative. The important thing is that we were able to keep the match on our side and win,” Carla MacLeodová evaluates the duel.

The improving performances and three wins in a row eventually ensured the Czech Republic nine points and first place in the tournament ahead of the runner-up Finland. “The whole week was great and very valuable for us in terms of the result. It is a demonstration that our performance is still growing and improving. During the week we focused on a lot of details and I think we are stronger in many ways. We managed to play the last match much more evenly. We didn’t do that very well in the previous races. I’m really proud of the team for the effort they put into it,” the Canadian coach praises the performance of her charges.

Swiss women’s national team wins the home tournament

Source : Swiss Ice Hockey Federation

Two victories are enough for the women’s national team to win the 4-nation tournament in Kloten.

The home tournament in Kloten is over. The women’s national team easily wins the two games played . The team won the first game against Hungary 4:1. The Swiss also won 4-1 against France. “The team performed well in both games. We had a young team that did a good job,” said Colin Muller, head coach of the women’s national team. The last game in which Switzerland would have played Germany had to be cancelled. A large part of the German team suffered from an acute gastrointestinal disease.

Highlights of the two games

Argentina became champion of the Latam Cup for the first time

Argentina became champion of the Latam Cup for the first time

Source: Filo.News

The Argentine ice hockey team, known as Los Leones, was crowned champion of the Latam Cup for the first time in history , after beating Greece Heritage Team 3-2 in the final at the Florida Panthers Ice Den.

According to information from the NHL site, Owen Haiek became the hero of the national team after scoring the golden goal in the second overtime, which was reached with the score tied 2-2.

The path of the Argentine national team towards the conquest of the title began with a 7-2 victory against the Greek team in the group stage. Then, Los Leones defeated Lebanon, coming back from 0-3 down to end up winning 5-4, they closed the round robin play with a 9-1 victory against Mexico. In the semifinals, Argentina won by a tight 3-1 score line to Flying Cedars of Lebanon.

The national team took revenge for last year’s final, in which they lost to Puerto Rico by the slightest difference.

On the youth side, the Argentina Under 16 National Team also climbed to the top of the podium in the Latam Cup, the competition that brings together selected Hispanics, after beating Chile 7-3 in the final, which arrived undefeated.

China And Demark Earn Promotion

Qiqi Lin scores the goal that takes China to the top level of the Women’s Worlds for the first time since 2009.

By National Teams of Ice Hockey

Only a year after being demoted to Division 1B World Championships, China won their first four games at the 2023 Division 1A Women’s World Championships to earn promotion to compete amongst the top teams in the world in Utica, New York in 2024.

Denmark needed to wait until the final day of competition at the IIHF Division 1A World Championships to secure their return to the top division.

to earn promotion, Denmark needed to win in regulation, and have the Netherlands lose in regulation to China.

During their game against Norway, Denmark did their part picking up a 4-1 win.

The Netherlands was trying to qualify for the top level of WW for the first time, but finished one goal short of their dream after losing to China, 2-1. They needed only to get the game to overtime to finish in second, but instead they finish in a three-way tie with Denmark and Austria, a result that gives Denmark the second promotion spot (along with China).

Slovakia will be demoted to 2024 Division 1B Women’s World Championships.

Ice hockey talent pool expanded in southern China

Players compete in the women’s ice hockey match between Guangdong and Sichuan at the National Winter Games in Hulun Buir, North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on July 22, 2023.

By Lu Wenao – Global Times

The ice hockey competitions at the National Winter Games, though rarely held in the summer, concluded in early August in Hulun Buir, North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as the spotlight surprisingly fell on teams from southern China.

Debutants Guangdong Province, whose women’s ice hockey lineup included several players affiliated with international teams such as national team captain Yu Baiwei, claimed their maiden national championship title as they won the seven-team competition.

“It allows more people to witness the charm of ice and snow in the summer. It’s our first experience participating in such an event during [the summer] season,” Yu told the Global Times. “I hope more people will watch our games, fall in love with ice hockey and even engage in the sport.”

Yu, who joined Shenzhen-based club Shenzhen Red Star in South China’s Guangdong Province in 2017, said Guangdong has been very supportive in developing winter sports, though the province is known for its warm climate.

“Guangdong has provided strong support for ice and snow sports, and these efforts have shown results in recent years,” Yu said. “I believe winning the National Winter Games will inspire more cities in southern China to develop ice and snow sports.”

In the men’s tournament, debutants Chongqing Municipality rounded off their ­maiden National Winter Games foray with a fourth-place finish in a nine-team race.

“They have demonstrated tenacity as the team even without winning a medal for Chongqing,” said Zhang Ge, deputy director of the Chongqing Winter Sports Administration. “The emergence of several outstanding young players is the greatest positive from our participation in this event.” 

Zhang mentioned that the team still requires more competitions to gain match fitness, saying, “We believe that with an increase in tournament participation, the team will see greater improvement.”

Olympic legacy

For many people from northern China, ice sports like skating are ­familiar, with locals having ­participated in them since childhood. Artificial ice technology spread in China thanks to Beijing winning the 2022 Winter Olympic bid, and has helped introduce children and teenagers winter sports in southern China.

The aforementioned two teams are just examples of ice hockey’s spread in southern China, as teams representing Sichuan and Anhui provinces, as well as Shanghai Municipality, areas in southern China where ice and snow is rarely seen, also qualified for the National Winter Games.

The southwestern province of Sichuan founded its ice hockey team in 2019, as the province aims to establish a squad that might widen the talent pool of the national team, said Duan Yuchuan, chief of Sichuan’s winter sports authority.

“Our short-term goal when establishing the team in 2019 was to participate in the National Winter Games and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. This goal has since been achieved,” Duan told the Global Times. 

“The mid-term goal is to win medals at national multi-sport events, contributing more talent to the national teams. Now we have seen several talent being summoned to the national team training camp,” Duan said, before noting that their long-term goal is to have Sichuan-born athletes win gold medals for China at the Winter Olympics in the future.

“Athletes from Sichuan often possess advantages in flexibility, skill, endurance, and performance. These strengths can be fully harnessed in specialized development across segments such as ice and snow sports skills,” he added.

Sichuan’s hopes of being summoned to the national team are firmly pinned to Sichuan’s women’s goalie Wei Xueqin. Wei, now 22, made it to the national team training camp for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics but had to skip the quadrennial tournament due to a squad limit. 

Despite not making it to the national team, Wei continues to relentlessly strive for greatness. 

National team captain Yu, 35, said witnessing many young ice hockey players at the National Games assures her that the sport has a brighter future.

“I have seen emerging forces in ice hockey like the Sichuan team, represented by athletes crossing disciplines and fields. While they might lack some technical skills and experience, I can feel their youthful enthusiasm when competing against them,” Yu told the Global Times. 

“As long as they keep pushing forward and maintain the momentum, there’s significant potential for the future development of women’s ice hockey in China.”

The competition for younger ice hockey players will be held in February 2024, when Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region hosts the full-scale National Winter Games. It is considered an event in which China’s ice hockey younger squad depth will be tested before the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Preparing for championship

As Shenzhen, a metropolis in South China’s Guangdong Province, will host the Division I Group A women’s ice hockey world championship tournament from August 20 to 26, China has a chance to further expand ice hockey’s influence in the country.

Team China will host Denmark, Norway, Slovakia, Austria, and the Netherlands in the tournament, all aiming for gold and a chance for advancement in the sport’s international ranking.

Yu also underlines that actualizing quality performances is also vital to boost the sport’s popularity.

“It’s not just about achieving results, but also about playing the game well,” Yu said. 

“Showing the younger generations what kind of teamwork and technical moves can be displayed in ice hockey is vital for the sport. I hope we can deliver better performances and become an example for young players to learn from.”

Roman Rotenberg Spoke About The Prospects For Cooperation With African Countries In Hockey

Source : Ice Hockey Federation of Russia

The Russia-Africa summit took place in St. Petersburg. Vice-President of the RHF, head coach of SKA and the Russia U25 team became one of the speakers at the strategic session “Sport: a bridge of friendship between Russia and Africa.” Roman Rotenberg spoke about the prospects for cooperation with African countries in ice hockey and outlined the main aspects and areas of cooperation, and also spoke about how hockey rapprochement will contribute to the implementation of the most important state task – the development of international cooperation with the countries of the Black Continent.

Roman Rotenberg, FHR First Vice President:
 The President of our country, Vladimir Putin, emphasizes that now is the time of opportunity. New opportunities are opening up in the world of ice hockey. Our sport has a historic chance to become the number one sport on the planet. In order to create the prerequisites for such progress, it is necessary to involve new continents in ice hockey. Now we are deepening our cooperation with different countries and we see that both in India and in South Africa and other African states, the desire to develop the game of ice hockey is becoming stronger. There are great traditions of team sports: cricket, football, and field hockey. This means that there are all opportunities for the successful popularization of the “puck”. The sooner we start, the sooner we will see results.

The development of international cooperation is the most important state task. Sports diplomacy will also help to fulfill it. Sport is multifaceted, it is part of the culture and helps to promote it. Emotional bonds are created: when we compete, we become friends. Sports cooperation is not limited to tournaments – it includes science, business, creation of new jobs and contribution to improving the health of the population.

By cooperating in ice hockey, we can create new bridges of friendship between Russia and African countries. The first factor of rapprochement will be the exchange of experience. Now interest in our sport is growing in South Africa, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia. We invite these and all other African states to develop the game. Russia is ready to provide methodological and organizational support to meet the requirements of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Our country is one of the strongest hockey powers, the experience we have accumulated will certainly be useful for Africa. And to popularize hockey, we can organize exhibition matches, team gatherings and conduct educational events.

The second factor of rapprochement is the development and improvement of the system of children’s sports. Our developments and innovations have been successfully implemented at the SKA Academy, which unites 13 schools with more than 3,000 pupils. They are trained under the Red Machine National Hockey Player Training Program, created with the support of the Ministry of Sports. Our teams take leading places in all-Russian tournaments. Established on the basis of the experience of SKA in Moscow 5 years ago, the Red Machine Junior school quickly became one of the leading schools in Moscow. Our philosophy is the development of a harmonious personality, the right combination of sports and children’s education. All this is an excellent basis for the creation of similar schools in African countries.

The third factor is technology and infrastructure. Our country has qualified coaches, modern sports arenas and equipment. Our human and intellectual potential is open to Africa. We have the strongest expertise in the construction of efficient high-tech facilities and are ready to help in this area.

The fourth factor is business development. We have an understanding of the market and technology, African countries have great production potential. We can create joint production of a wide variety of sports products. Joint investment in these areas, the creation of new production chains is the key to the effective progressive development of our countries. And today we can implement all these projects directly. At the same time, we look at development in a complex way. Sport is a powerful connecting element. The effective development of the economies of partner countries based on sports links is a realistic achievable goal. We already have good examples of cooperation with China and Uzbekistan in our work. We know in practice how sport helps to develop business relations. And today, economic ties with these countries are among the strongest.

Finally, in the 21st century, the potential for technological and educational projects is enormous. The most important task is the joint development of the creative industry, digital, games of the future, which involve more and more with people around the world.

Our countries are moving towards each other, and by joint efforts we can achieve great success and victories, including in the game of ice  hockey.

Israeli ice hockey reinvigorated with new fresh board of directors

A Recent picture of the Israel Women’s National Team playing at the OneIce Arena in Tnuvot, just outside Netanya.

 Jerusalem Post

Ice hockey may not be the most popular sport in Israel, but it rivals any in terms of passion.

For the hundreds of those who spend their time on the gleaming chilly surface or stand behind the boards watching their kids trying to handle the puck with a stick while balancing on skates, it is not a revelation that the national federation in Israel has recently passed through a very difficult period of turbulence.

For the hundreds of those who spend their time on the gleaming chilly surface or stand behind the boards watching their kids trying to handle the puck with a stick while balancing on skates, it is not a revelation that the national federation in Israel has recently passed through a very difficult period of turbulence.

But now the wait is over. The new management team of the Ice Hockey Federation of Israel (IHFI) has been selected and the organization can return to its primary mission – taking the local game to new heights.

New Board of Directors

A competent Board of Directors, under the guidance of the new president Basil Gamsu, will help ensure that no infringements are possible, a volunteer-based professional operations unit led by new CEO Mikhael Horowitz will take care of the hands-on, day-to-day activities, and a renewed Professional Committee led by Pavel Levin will advise and direct on the professional side.

Levin and Horowitz are by no means new to this game and they have many notches on their belts which prove their competence. Pavel is one of the founders of OneIce Arena, the country’s best ice facility located in Tnuvot just outside of Netanya, and Mikhael, an Israeli-born hockey manager, has international experience and education both in North America and Europe and has been involved in hockey within Israel  for more than 20 years. Heading the organization as the president, Gamsu is an experienced financial leader who anticipates guiding the organization to prosperity.

“We have gone through difficult times in previous years,” noted Horowitz. “The global pandemic alongside internal misdoings have taken us many steps back. But we have held strong. As Christine Caine stated: ‘Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.’ That’s the attitude we have. That’s the attitude that allowed us to have a breakthrough season this year.”

In a very short period of time, the new processes led by renewed IHFI management definitely have borne fruit. Starting in January in Turkey, where the U20 team reached the final of its divisional tournament but had to settle for silver after losing to Australia. Then in March in Iceland, the U18 team made it a step further winning gold in Division 3A and being promoted to an upper tier for the first time since 2008.

Later in March, OneIce Arena hosted the Women’s World Championship in Division 3B – the first International Ice Hockey Federation level event to be hosted in the country. On home ice, the blue-and–white ladies accomplished their first-ever victory, defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina, and brought home their first medal as they finished ranked second.

Finally, in April in Spain, the men’s team successfully secured a spot in Division 2A after a heroic mini-miracle-on-ice, last-second win vs Iceland in its final game – yet another unprecedented feat.

IHFI success has been greatly influenced by OneIce Arena’s support and involvement as a strategic partnership has developed between the federation and the venue. The facility, which had run independently from the IHFI in previous years, has fully opened its doors for the first time to IHFI activities.

Since opening in 2019, OneIce Arena has sponsored national team activity, merged its league with the national league and brought know-how to operations. Having survived the COVID-caused hiatus the arena now operates around the clock welcoming everybody who shares the owners’ passion for ice sports.

OneIce co-hosts, alongside with the northern Canada Center facility in Metula and a smaller rink in the Holon – Ice Peaks – the renewed Israel National Hockey Leagues (INHL). The INHL is the federation’s national league which provides leagues for youth, juniors, adults, and masters, the veterans who refuse to give up the game.

OneIce Arena is home to the OneIce Hockey Academy which runs programs for kids and adults of all ages and levels – from those who just put their skates on for the first time until those who become (semi)professionals.

What’s next? After all the positive overhaul, the future of Israeli ice hockey seems as bright as ever. New management knows that there is a lot of hard work to be done and they are very happy they can rely on their close colleagues and friends for support.

“I would like to thank everyone who has given back to hockey this year,” said Horowitz. ”We are running a huge volunteer-based operation. I would like to acknowledge Felix Kozak and Steven and Natalie Maksin as they have been a huge help throughout the years.

“Through his work as an attorney, Felix knows everything about sponsorship and fundraising, which is an invaluable support for the national teams program. The Maksin couple and their company, Moonbeam Capital Investments, also proved themselves as devoted and reliable partners – and, most importantly, true friends who share a passion for the game and are always ready to help tackle any problem and overcome any barrier, just like good teammates do.

“With friends like these anything is possible.”

An ice arena has opened in Baku

Source: Media.AZ

On June 2, the grand opening of the ice arena at the Sports and Concert Complex named after Heydar Aliyev took place in Baku. The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan put this facility into operation in order to stimulate the development of sports such as figure skating and hockey in the country.

head of the press service of the ministry Gabil Mehdiyev , the arena will operate not only for training future athletes, but also available to amateurs.

Under the Federation of Winter Sports, sports the ice rink will be opened  for future figure skating and hockey athletes. For athletes the  training will be free this month and will be charged next month. For amateurs or those wishing to start doing these sports not for a sports career, but as a hobby, classes will also be paid, for” G. Mehdiyev noted.

The representative of the ministry also added that the cost of training has not yet been set, this will be handled by the managers of the ice arena.

In turn, Secretary General of the Azerbaijan Winter Sports Federation, President of the European Ski Mountaineering Consulate of the International Ski Mountaineering Federation Gunel Badalova said that the Federation regularly received proposals to open an ice rink so that both athletes and amateurs could practice figure skating and hockey.

“For the development of any sport among the local population, it is necessary to start with infrastructure, and then increase the number of athletes. I want to note that at the opening of the ice arena, we were approached by a lot of people who wanted to enroll their children in figure skating and hockey. Just yesterday, a woman applied to the Federation – her family had recently moved to Baku. She said that in  country where they came from her daughter was engaged in figure skating and really wants to continue working in this direction.

This suggests that there are many people in Azerbaijan who want to engage in these sports and move in this direction professionally, even among those who do not know how to skate at all. I would also like to note that among those who want to skate are not only girls, but also boys,” G. Badalova emphasized.

According to her, the Federation plans to engage in educational detail among kindergarteners and school students in order to attract those who want to engage in these sports professionally. In addition, excursions around the ice arena will be held for children as part of physical education lessons.

“The arena will operate not only for professional skating, but also for mass use. Those of all ages can visit it. To do this, we are now developing a schedule and setting prices. When the work is completed, we will publish all the necessary information by putting the ice rink into operation,” she said.

Badalova also noted that in order to work with future athletes, the Federation is negotiating with professional coaches from around the world. At the moment, figure skating coach Vitaly Novikov has arrived in Baku . The specialist has coached teams both in Russia and in the USA.

“Negotiations are also underway with ice hockey coaches. We strive for the Azerbaijanis living in our country to start practicing winter sports, therefore we attract foreign coaches, not athletes.

By the way, for the development of ski mountaineering (skiing), we invited a coach from Andorra Patrick Kampais , he has been training our guys from Gusar and Baku for a year now. Now we have only five athletes in ski mountaineering, but to increase their number we plan to hold selections in June, September and October,” our interlocutor summed up.

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