The Honorary President of the IIHF responded to a question about the future development of hockey in Armenia following the Division IV World Championship currently taking place in Yerevan. Mr. Fasel also shared his thoughts on how many ice rinks Armenia would need to build to support the growth of the sport.
After Armenia’s performance at the World Championship, is it possible that the government and the IIHF will support the development of hockey as an institution in the country?
Yeah, I mean. Without the help of the government, ice hockey cannot survive here. It's actually the role of the National Olympic Committee together with the sports ministers to focus on what is important for the youth of the country.
As I said before, here you have weightlifting, you have wrestling, even chess. I think you have very good chess players too. So, what do you do? Football is number one, I would say, everywhere. And easy to do, you know. So, it's very popular. It depends on the government, what they focus on, what they have to to invest. But never forget, and I try to tell that to my people from ice hockey, if you do an ice hockey arena, you can do curling, you can have short track, you can have figure skating, and you can have ice hockey. No men and women. So the investment of ice arena is not only for ice hockey, it's also for other Olympic sports. Skating, and then, as I said, short track, or curling. Even curling, I think, curling is about that you're smart. I mean, you should play chess. I always say curling is like chess on the ice. And it's not too expensive.
And that's actually a sport where you can be really good in the Olympic Games or World Championship to do this sport. It's not so expensive. Ok, the stones. But I know that the International Federation of Curling, they will send you the stones to practice. And then you need to be smart in some technique. Why not? I don't know. Do you have an Armenian curling team or not yet? No. No? No, we don't.
No. So, you know, when you do a hockey arena, ice arena, that's actually the strategy what the government, like in Armenia or Uzbekistan, where it's difficult to have hockey, ice arenas, you do not only for ice hockey, you do that also for other ice sports.
And how do you think, how many ice rinks we need to develop the sport properly in Armenia?
As much as we can. How many? No, I think you have, what, three million people? One million in Yerevan? We have two. I think Switzerland at eight million people, we have over 200. I think Ice Arena, so that's why also Ice Hockey and curling, we are good in curling. Not so good, I mean, figure skating not too bad, but for sure, you, and you don't need big one, ice surface, you know.
I think one million people. I don't know. What do you think? How many are we now? I would say 10, 12 for sure
Yeah, I mean. Without the help of the government, ice hockey cannot survive here. It's actually the role of the National Olympic Committee together with the sports ministers to focus on what is important for the youth of the country.
As I said before, here you have weightlifting, you have wrestling, even chess. I think you have very good chess players too. So, what do you do? Football is number one, I would say, everywhere. And easy to do, you know. So, it's very popular. It depends on the government, what they focus on, what they have to to invest. But never forget, and I try to tell that to my people from ice hockey, if you do an ice hockey arena, you can do curling, you can have short track, you can have figure skating, and you can have ice hockey. No men and women. So the investment of ice arena is not only for ice hockey, it's also for other Olympic sports. Skating, and then, as I said, short track, or curling. Even curling, I think, curling is about that you're smart. I mean, you should play chess. I always say curling is like chess on the ice. And it's not too expensive.
And that's actually a sport where you can be really good in the Olympic Games or World Championship to do this sport. It's not so expensive. Ok, the stones. But I know that the International Federation of Curling, they will send you the stones to practice. And then you need to be smart in some technique. Why not? I don't know. Do you have an Armenian curling team or not yet? No. No? No, we don't.
No. So, you know, when you do a hockey arena, ice arena, that's actually the strategy what the government, like in Armenia or Uzbekistan, where it's difficult to have hockey, ice arenas, you do not only for ice hockey, you do that also for other ice sports.
And how do you think, how many ice rinks we need to develop the sport properly in Armenia?
As much as we can. How many? No, I think you have, what, three million people? One million in Yerevan? We have two. I think Switzerland at eight million people, we have over 200. I think Ice Arena, so that's why also Ice Hockey and curling, we are good in curling. Not so good, I mean, figure skating not too bad, but for sure, you, and you don't need big one, ice surface, you know.
I think one million people. I don't know. What do you think? How many are we now? I would say 10, 12 for sure