The strongest team of the International Para Hockey CUP 2023 from the United States of America, will be arriving in the Czech Republic tomorrow. The six-time world champions have been returning to Ostrava repeatedly since they won their first ever championship title here in 2009. Later on Thursday, the Czech and US national teams will have a joint training session. Both teams will repeat this tradition of sharing and passing on para hockey skills again after a year, in preparation for the IPH CUP 2023. The tournament starts in the Ostravar Arena on October 2nd at 15:00 with the USA playing against the IPH team.
Right at the start of the new season, the four teams will face a major test. IPH CUP 2023 will present the three strongest teams in the world today – the USA, Canada and the Czech Republic. These teams will then be complemented with the selection of players from Europe under the name IPH team. The Americans sent as many as twenty players to Ostrava. „The event is the perfect way to select our final roster because its very competitive and it’s always better to see your players in real game like situations to identify your best players,“ said team manager Dan Brennan of the USA para hockey team. Seventeen of the twenty para hockey players will then remain in the final lineup of the American team. „Team USA loves to come to Ostrava because the tournament is extremely well run and the Czech people are so kind,“ added Brennan. After acclimatization and the joint training, the Americans will have their first tough match on Monday, October 2nd, at 15:00 with the IPH team – a selection of players from Germany and Italy. „It‘s great that different players from different countries get the opportunity to participate in such a unique event,“ Dan Brennan commented on the involvement of the IPH team.
A great Fan Zone for all para hockey fans
The fans can enjoy the unique atmosphere of the world para ice hockey tournament from the non-traditional Fan Zone, directly next to the ice! Try para hockey, laser shooting, skiergs, para bocce, para basketball or para table tennis. Children will be entertained by IKEA with their handicraft workshops, and the city of Ostrava and the Moravian-Silesian region will also bring plenty of different board games.
There will also be a large stage right next to the ice for DJ Saurus and the tournament moderator – Jirka Krupica, and you can look forward to the great talk show Bez frazí (Without Barriers) with moderator Karel Nocar. The great Fan Zone will entertain both children and adults, while enjoying the atmosphere of the IPH CUP 2023 world tournament in an unexpected environment, along with watching the para hockey matches directly from the ice surface!
Follow the Facebook and Instagram sites of the Czech para hockey team and you won’t miss any spicy tournament news!
The International Para Hockey Cup 2023 will take place with the support of the National Sports Agency, the Moravian-Silesian Region, the Statutory City of Ostrava and partners Kaufland and Komerční banka.
Text: Zuzana Martinčík Glacová Translation: Adela Katy Dawso Photos: Český para hokej
