Two Contenders for 2021 Ice Hockey World Championships -- Bidding Roundup

HELSINKI, FINLAND - MAY 13: Kristers Gudlevskis (L), goaltender of Latvia makes a save on Antoine Roussel (#60) of France during the IIHF World Championship group H match between Latvia and France at Hartwall Areena on May 13, 2013 in Helsinki, Finland. (Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images)

(ATR) Three countries with experience hosting the Ice Hockey World Championships are competing for approval from International Ice Hockey Federation members to host the 2021 edition of the event.

Finland will go head-to-head with a joint bid from Belarus and Latvia to host the federation’s annual showpiece event.

Delegates of the IIHF will select the future host during its 2017 IIHF Annual Congress this May in Cologne, Germany. The congress will take place from May 18-20 during the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships.

The bid from Finland features the country’s capital Helsinki and Tampere with the to-be-built Tampere Arena, expected to be one of the most modern hockey venues when it is completed in 2020, according to the IIHF.

Tampere has hosted the event five times, most recently in 2003 while Helsinki jointly hosted the world championships in 2013.

The 2021 joint bid from Belarus and Latvia includes venues in Minsk andRiga. The Belarusian capital Minsk hosted the championships in 2014while Riga hosted the event in 2006. Each of the cities opened newvenues when they staged the events.

The next four editions of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships are taking place in: Cologne, Germany and Paris, France; Copenhagen and Herning, Denmark; Bratislava and Kosice, Slovakia and Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland.

The 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships will take place from May 7-23.

Philippines and Indonesia Partner for FIBA Hosting Rights

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) could have its first joint World Cup host in 2023.

The Philippines and Indonesia have filed a joint bid to FIBA to host the World Cup. The bid stipulates that the group stage would be split between the two countries while the semi final and finals would take place in the Philippines.

FIBA recently amended its statutes to allow for two-country bids beginning in 2023.

China beat out the Philippines to host the 2019 FIBA World Championships, potentially spurring the two-country bid for the 2023 World Cup. The Philippines has previously hosted the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships and 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifiers.

FIBA will announce the full list of competitors to stage the 2023 World Cup in February.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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