ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Ice Hockey Federation named Vladimir Krikunov new head coach of the men’s national team. The 62-year-old Russian will coach the country’s KHL team Barys Astana at the same time.

Krikunov replaces Andrei Shayanov, who was released after his team’s relegation at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

At the same time it was announced that Shumi Babayev, a player agent, will become the new General Manager of the Kazakh national team after Nurlan Orazbayev’s resignation.

The central Asian nation will attempt to get back to the top level by finishing among the top two teams of the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A in Budapest, Hungary, 14-20 April 2013. Italy, Hungary, Japan, Great Britain and Korea will be the opponents.

Krikunov’s first mission will come already in the winter when Kazakhstan will attempt to qualify for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Kazakhstan will play in Group E of the Final Olympic Qualification to be staged in Riga, Latvia, 7-10 February 2013. The best of the four teams qualifies for the Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament in Sochi. Kazakhstan’s opponents will be Latvia, France and a tournament winner from the Olympic Pre-Qualification.

Krikunov has several years of experience at the international stage. After coaching the Slovenian national team in 1996 he became head coach of the Belarusian national team that upset Sweden in the quarter-finals of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. The fourth-place finish in Salt Lake City has been the best placement for Belarus in any top hockey event. Krikunov also coached Belarus at the 2003 IIHF World Championship, but was replaced after the 14th-place finish that meant relegation.

Later he became Russian’s head coach for the 2005 and 2006 IIHF World Championships and for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. He won his only medal, a bronze, at the 2005 Worlds.

As a player he represented the Soviet Union in the 1976 Canada Cup.

Krikunov has been coaching in the Russian top league since 1996. In 2000 he led Ak Bars Kazan to the final and in 2005 he won the championship with Dynamo Moscow. In 2008 he moved to Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk and in 2011/2012 he had a one-year stint with Ak Bars Kazan. Barys Astana named him head coach for the upcoming season in July.

MARTIN MERK