USA, Canada, Russia and of course the Czech Republic! From 12th to 19th December 2021, an extraordinary tournament will take place in the RT Torax Arena in Ostrava with the participation of the best para hockey teams on the planet! The International Para Hockey Cup (IPH CUP) will offer twelve matches of the world’s elite teams.
The IPH CUP is a pre-Christmas para hockey event, giving the four elite national teams a great opportunity to prepare for the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games Beijing 2022. “Thanks to our great organizational team, we can not only do successful and big events such as the World Championships, but also other projects and tournaments. We want to be a motivation and show through para hockey that handicap does not always have to be just an obstacle in life, “said the head of the IPH Cup tournament, Irena Šašková. Both overseas teams and para hockey players from Russia are returning to Ostrava after almost half a year. “Ostrava has become our second home with friendly people and fans, incredible hospitality and a huge passion for para hockey,” said Marshall Starkman, the general manager, for the Canadian para hockey team. The reigning world champions from the USA are also returning to Ostrava where they are known for their traditional thrive in tournaments. The manager of the American para hockey team especially appreciates the opportunity to face his main opponents again. “When we found out that it is possible to participate in the international IPH CUP, we did not hesitate for a moment and took the opportunity to come to the tournament. There is a special place for the Czech Republic in our hearts, the local people, Ostrava and its great organizational team” added Daniel Brennan, manager of the USA national hockey team. Therefore, the return of these teams proves that the Moravian-Silesian Region and Ostrava are #theheartofparahockey! “It makes us really happy and it is an honor for us that the teams want to come back here again and again. It proves that we can make a great background for teams, but we also can offer our fans the opportunity to be there and watch the best para hockey on the planet at home” said the head of Czech para hockey Jiří Šindler.
The tournament will start on the 12th of December 2021, with a rerun of the final of the World Championships in para hockey Ostrava 2021. Teams from Canada and the USA will play in the RT Torax Arena starting 2.30 pm. Later following an evening match from 6.00 pm where the ice will belong to the duel of the Czech Republic against the Russian para hockey team. “The tournament will be played as a double “round robin”. We hope that we will create a great atmosphere for the para hockey teams again, and that in this pre-Christmas period we will even sing a carol by the ice” added Irena Šašková on behalf of Czech para hockey.
You can find the game plan of the entire International Para Hockey Cup 2021 tournament now on our website in the IPH CUP tab and in the EVENTS section.
