The blue-yellows are preparing for the World Championships in Division IB
Assistant head coach Ukrainian national hockey team Oleg Shafarenko spoke about the team’s preparation for World Cup 2024 in division IB.
“We are planning to hold a short training camp in Ukraine for the future of the national team. To see how the guys live, what they can do and how they feel when they get together. First of all, if we had not had a war, we could have fully gathered the guys and looked at everyone. But we have conditions, we don’t have the opportunity to watch everyone we want.”
“That’s why there is such a narrow group of people we count on. It’s not very nice for coaches because the coach can’t see everyone. There is such a problem, there is a big list, but five “fives” will go to Lithuania. Players from Kremenchug, Dnipro and Sokol will work in Ukraine.”
“On April 8 we are leaving, our training camp in Kaunas begins. A friendly match with the Latvian national team is planned, this is a very powerful team, we understand. But we have to play with strong teams if we want to grow in class. will be a good test for the players themselves. understand how top-level teams play.”
“There will be two more sparring matches before the World Cup – Lithuania and China. The final dates are being determined, but the team will have four matches of a very decent level. In these games we will offer the demands we strive for and see what we are capable of as a team.”
The Ukrainian national team will begin its performance at the 2024 World Cup with a match against Estonia on April 27. Next, the blue-yellows will play with the Netherlands (April 28), China (April 30), Spain (May 1) and Lithuania (May 3). The winner of the tournament will advance to Division IA, the team that finishes last will drop to Division IIA.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
