UPDATED December 1, 2008 – added info and visualisation of Bratislava stadium
Bratislava, May 19, 2006 (Bratislava-City.sk) – Slovakia has been selected to host the 2011 Ice Hockey World Championship together with the eastern Slovak city Kosice, annual congress of the International ice Hockey Federation decided.
In Bratislava after long fights over the location of a new hockey arena the authorities decided to upgrade the existing Ondrej Nepela Ice Rink. Its capacity will expand to over 10,000 seats. The arena will contain two new practice rinks, a new parking facility, as well as an adjacent hotel. Reconstruction should begin immediately after the 2008/2009 ice hockey season and be completed in 2010.
Slovakia’s two largest cities Bratislava and Kosice beat the other candidates Sweden and Hungary, after Finland withdrew from the running.
The championship is scheduled to take place between April 30 and May 15, 2011.