Barys Arena to host Ice Hockey World Championship

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - It may be news for many of our readers that in Barys Arena Multifunctional Ice Palace in Astana, there are two ice hockey rinks, as well as swimming pools that fully meet the requirements for Olympic-level tournaments, Kazinform correspondent reports.

At the time of the building designing, there were lots of architects' discussions in this regard. As a result, the design of the building had to be radically changed. The construction commenced in 2012. Three years after, the new ice arena was commissioned. Initially, it was planned to complete the construction in two years. But, due to the changes in the design, the residents of the capital had to wait one more year to see another remarkable high-tech facility, which fits the futuristic architecture of Astana. The shape of the building looks like a hockey puck.

Inside the ice palace, there are LED displays, commentator rooms, a press center. All are vast and convenient. You can watch hockey matches sitting in a cafe on the top of the building.

The new arena was opened just before the beginning of the President's Cup. Nursultan Nazarbayev was there and inspected the ice arena. Then, the Head of State was presented with a jersey of Barys Hockey Club.

There is also a training school for children and young people. A special ice rink was built for them.

In Block C, there is a swimming pool suitable for international competitions.

"The Olympic pool meets all the requirements of the International Swimming Federation (FINA). It is 50 meters long and 25 meters wide. On the other side, there is another swimming pool with diving platforms and springboards. Owing to all this, it is possible to hold here international swimming, diving, synchronized swimming and water polo competitions," the employees of the ice arena say.

In addition to hockey competitions, it hosts basketball, MMA competitions, cultural and sporting events. For instance, the 550th Anniversary of the Kazakh Khanate was also celebrated in Barys Arena. Figure skater Denis Ten also arranges his shows here. One of the upcoming landmark events is the Ice Hockey World Championship.

Recently, Kazakhstan for the first time has gained the opportunity to host the Group A matches of the championship. This tournament will be organized next year. Hockey players from Belarus, South Korea, Hungary, Slovenia, and Lithuania will come here. The winning team will secure a berth at the Elite Division. Therefore, it is most likely that we will witness interesting and tense matches at Barys Arena.