The IIHF Semi-annual Congress in Slovenia has drawn to a close and has been a great success for the Slovak organizers.
The IIHF Semi-annual Congress in the Slovenian town of Portorož has concluded and has been marked as a great success for Slovakia. The host country of the up and coming elite championship organized three day negotiations with delegates and guests from IIHF member countries in the Slovenian seaside resort.
At the Congress – which commenced on Wednesday 15th September and ended today (Friday 17th September) – was attended by 290 delegates from 60 IIHF countries.
The event is being organized as usual by the organizer of the up coming A-category IIHF World Championship.
“We have been very pleasantly surprised, In terms of the organization of the Congress we found it a great success. The delegates had allegedly never seen such a well prepared and decorated hotel. We surprised them with a symbolic border crossing which represented the transition between Slovenia and Slovakia. Our twist with the Goooly mascot was fantastic, and it really entertained the guests. The welcome dinner was a roaring success, we hit home with Slovak music and rich entertainment,” said OC Chairman Igor Nemeček from the Congress venue. “It was a magnificent evening," stated IIHF president René Fasel.
The IIHF took care of the content management of the Congress. Slovakia – via its work group – presented the preparations for the up and coming 2011 IIHF World championship in Bratislava and Košice (29.4.2011 – 15.5.2011) in a one hour presentation. „We were pleasantly surprised that not only the 16 participating countries were involved in the presentation, but also a lot of other delegates who had turned up of their own initiative. On Friday we briefed the general Congress assembly about the state of preparations,” added Igor Nemeček from the St. Bernadin hotel in Portorož
“Among other things, the Congress approved the IIHF budget and economics as well as the allocation of events for 2010/2011. Unfortunately the Champions League project is still open and won’t be happening next season. A large amount of space was devoted to anti-doping, but also the first youth winter Olympic games in Innsbruck,” stated the chief of the OC Chairman.
Concerning changes to the format of the A-category IIHF World championship proposed to be implemented as from the 2012 IIHF World championship in Sweden and Finland, such changes can only be approved at the Annual Congress in the A-category champion’s home country – which is to be held in 2011 in Bratislava.
In addition to Slovak ice hockey federation president Juraj Široký, who is an executive IIHF member, and the OC Chairman Igor Nemeček, the organizing country is to be represented by SZĽH general secretary Ján Taraba and SZĽH executive comittee member and hockey program director Ján Filc.
