For several days Astana will become hockey capital of Eurasia - Aset Issekeshev
The Memorandum states that the Week of Hockey Stars will be held in Kazakh capital on January 10-14, 2018. The events shall include the Women's Hockey League (WHL) All-Star Game, the MHL (Juniors' Hockey League) Challenge Cup, plus the KHL All-Star Game as well as a Master Show.
"This memorandum is very important. And the 2018 Hockey Stars Week in Astana is a joyful and honorable event for all of us. The series of performances of the best players in the league will become a truly bright and unforgettable sporting event, not only for fans of Barys, but for all residents of Astana. For several days our city will become the hockey capital of Eurasia", Akim Issekeshev noted in his welcoming speech, addressing Dmitry Chernyshenko.
"In general, sports is on the rise in our city. And we want to make Astana a city of healthy people. One of the main directions in this work is the development of mass sports as a key to a healthy nation and a future generation. To date, a quarter of the capital's population is systematically engaged in physical culture and sports. The order of the Head of the State on the achievement by the end of 2020 of 30% of the indicator systematically engaged in sports from the total number of residents of the capital is laid down in the City Development Program," said the akim.
KHL President Dmitry Chernyshenko outlined some of the reasons why Astana is the ideal venue for the 2018 Week of Hockey Stars:
"Kazakh capital is a very pleasant city with well-developed infrastructure. It boasts one of the most modern and comfortable arenas in the KHL. It is well known that people in Kazakhstan love hockey and know a lot about the game. Therefore, they will take a special joy in staging the Week of Hockey Stars and welcoming the guests and participants of the event. Just as a year ago in Ufa, we have signed a special agreement which guarantees a high standard of organization and coordination in preparations for this event. I am sure that Astana-2018 will become a memorable page in the long history of this star-studded show," he said.
Note that the decision to grant Astana the right to hold the Hockey Stars Week 2018 was made after examining the applications submitted to the league by four candidate cities, including Vladivostok, Kazan, and Helsinki. Following the results of the work of the KHL special commission, which evaluated each application for compliance with criteria, the leadership of the league made a choice in favor of Astana, which became the ninth city to be awarded the right to host the main show of the hockey season.