Riga sole host for 2021 world championships (Mod warning in post #204)

[Jumptheshark]

Over the weekend Skoda dropped out of a very rich sponsorship deal and nivea was about to pull the plug as well



IIHF - IIHF to move 2021 World Championship


NO POLITICS TALK

Even with this move, there is doubt the games will go ahead.

It will be interesting to see just what happens. The Scandinavian countries made their stand on the subject in December.

By losing at least 2 of their biggest sponsors this now hits the IIHF pocket book and the viability of the games being run without fans

Click to read more...

 

[Preposterone]

I guess all I am allowed to say here is "good riddance"

 

[Jumptheshark]

I guess all I am allowed to say here is "good riddance"

The money angle of the IIHF losing two of their biggest sponsors over the weekend. I go to the worlds every year and Skoda had a massive presence in every city the games were played with Nivea not far behind

 

[SotasicA]

Good. And expected. I assume multiple competing nations would have dropped out anyway, on top of the sponsors.

It's not an important tournament to hold this year, with so many issues besides Belorussian politics, so cancelling the whole thing would be a reasonable thing to do. But I bet they want to go ahead and collect whatever money they can from the sponsors. So Latvia and... ? Or just Latvia and Latvia. Single country makes the most sense due to travel and covid bubble. Is Latvia able to host all the games?

 

[Gold Standard]

Good news! the correct decision was made.

 

[Albatros]

I doubt that there will be major sponsorship changes now that the situation has been resolved according to their wishes.

 

[jcbio11]

I hope I am allowed to say the correct decision was made. I hope the tournament still goes ahead with some other arrangements, maybe even in a bubble. Latvia, Denmark and Slovakia are all good options. I'd watch for sure just like I watched the WJC.

Also to the OP, Skoda and Nivea said they're out if this is held in Belarus, not that they're out in any case.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I hope I am allowed to say the correct decision was made. I hope the tournament still goes ahead with some other arrangements, maybe even in a bubble. Latvia, Denmark and Slovakia are all good options. I'd watch for sure just like I watched the WJC.

Also to the OP, Skoda and Nivea said they're out if this is held in Belarus, not that they're out in any case.

IF the games are moved to Moscow they are still out

 

[filip85]

I just hope (Slovak) won't get hosting...

 

[jcbio11]

IF the games are moved to Moscow they are still out

Oh, okay, I didn't know. Well, makes sense I mean.

 

[Albatros]

IF the games are moved to Moscow they are still out

Russia is a major market and Škoda even has production facilities there, they're not going to do anything explicit to jeopardize that.

 

[Kiekura]

Only right decission!

 

[Fatass]

IF the games are moved to Moscow they are still out

Why?

 

[Jussi]

Over the weekend Skoda dropped out of a very rich sponsorship deal and nivea was about to pull the plug as well



IIHF - IIHF to move 2021 World Championship


NO POLITICS TALK

Even with this move, there is doubt the games will go ahead.

It will be interesting to see just what happens. The Scandinavian countries made their stand on the subject in December.

By losing at least 2 of their biggest sponsors this now hits the IIHF pocket book and the viability of the games being run without fans

No, the games will be played even without audiences. They're looking at if the football arena in Latvia close by could host the games, so they could create a bubble of sorts. Though I can easily see there being "vaccinated only" attendance being set.

 

[FiLe]

Here are the verified facts as of right now:

-Minsk, Belarus won't be hosting the games. (Source: IIHF)

-The tournament will be played, in a bubble if need be. One of the hosts will be Riga, Latvia, and the other is being decided between Bratislava, Slovakia, and Herning, Denmark. The decision will be made within the next two weeks. (Source: IIHF Vice President Kalervo Kummola in the Finnish TV.)

-The most recent word from the major sponsors Skoda and Nivea is that they would have withdrawn their sponsorship if the games were being hosted by Belarus. They have not, however, issued any statements about about boycotting any other venues. (If somebody has a more recent source stating otherwise, feel free to correct me.) If you ask me, it's pretty safe to say these companies won't have any objections over Latvia and Slovakia/Denmark.

 

[kaiser matias]

Good. And expected. I assume multiple competing nations would have dropped out anyway, on top of the sponsors.

It's not an important tournament to hold this year, with so many issues besides Belorussian politics, so cancelling the whole thing would be a reasonable thing to do. But I bet they want to go ahead and collect whatever money they can from the sponsors. So Latvia and... ? Or just Latvia and Latvia. Single country makes the most sense due to travel and covid bubble. Is Latvia able to host all the games?

They already cancelled the 2020 work championships, so I douvt they will want to do it a second year in a row. It's the biggest event the IIHF hosts (I don't count the Olympics here), and makes the federation a ton of money.

Latvia is still a co-host, so they may move it all there or add another co-host.

 

[ThaiTanicDK]

Security issues important now after SKODA announced they would back down as sponsors.

I guess its kinda true though, not being financially secure is an issue.

 

[Hennessy]

GOOD.

 

[Fantomas]

Nice to know that international hockey is wholly owned by corporations.

 

[VVP]

Nice to know that international hockey is wholly owned by corporations.

Don't think that was the case. The way the contracts are usually written all sponsors would probably have to pay major penalties to break the contracts unless Fasel has poorly written sponsorship contracts. This is the case of a pure political pressure and Fasel didn't want to become the next Sepp Blatter.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

Over the weekend Skoda dropped out of a very rich sponsorship deal and nivea was about to pull the plug as well



IIHF - IIHF to move 2021 World Championship


NO POLITICS TALK

Even with this move, there is doubt the games will go ahead.

It will be interesting to see just what happens. The Scandinavian countries made their stand on the subject in December.

By losing at least 2 of their biggest sponsors this now hits the IIHF pocket book and the viability of the games being run without fans

Well done Skoda.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Good riddance. I still remember Minsk 2014 and what a disaster it was.

 

[snipes]

So is Latvia getting the all of the games or does Russia get the other city? Moscow or St. Petersburg make sense if all the games aren’t in Latvia.

 

[Jussi]

Korvaava MM-kisaisäntä valitaan kahden maan välillä − Kummola: "Tämän päivän kokouksessa Fasel tiesi, että on käytännössä yksin tässä" - MAAJOUKKUE - 18.01.2021 - Uutiset - Jatkoaika.com - Kaikki jääkiekosta

According to Kummola, Fasel was left alone with his opinion. Everyone else at the IIHF meeting was in favor of moving the tournament. Also, they hadn't gotten any official figures of the Covid situation in Belarus. The new host options in addition to Latvia are Bratislava, Slovakia and Herning, Denmark.

 

[snipes]

Korvaava MM-kisaisäntä valitaan kahden maan välillä − Kummola: "Tämän päivän kokouksessa Fasel tiesi, että on käytännössä yksin tässä" - MAAJOUKKUE - 18.01.2021 - Uutiset - Jatkoaika.com - Kaikki jääkiekosta

According to Kummola, Fasel was left alone with his opinion. Everyone else at the IIHF meeting was in favor of moving the tournament. Also, they hadn't gotten any official figures of the Covid situation in Belarus. The new host options in addition to Latvia are Bratislava, Slovakia and Herning, Denmark.

Thanks for the translation.

Did the article indicate which city is more likely?