NATIONAL HOCKEY TEAM OF ARMENIA LOSES POSSIBILITY OF PARTICIPATION IN ELIMINATION GAMES OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Noyan Tapan
Apr 19 2007
YEREVAN, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The elimination games of the 3rd
group of the world championship of hockey with puck started in the
city of Dublin, Ireland, on April 15. The national team of Armenia was
to also participate in the struggle of teams of 6 countries involved
in the group, but they were not given possibility to participate in
the tournament.
As Karen Khachatrian, the Chairman of the Hockey Federation of Armenia
informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, personal documents of all
the members of the delegation were sent to Moscow, to the Embassy
of Ireland a month ago for getting entrance visas. But, on the last
day of the defined term the Embassy refused giving entrance visas
of Ireland to Armenian hockey players. In K. Khachatrian’s words,
one of the Embassy officials explained that "they doubt that Armenian
hockey players will return Armenia after the competition."
K. Khachatrian also stated that he addressed a protest to the
International Hockey Federation on the occasion of that issue.