Belarus beat UAE 7:3 at start of Christmas Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament

On January 4, the Belarusian national ice hockey team overmatched the UAE team with a score of 7:3 (3:0, 4:1, 0:2) at the start of the 13th Christmas International Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament for the Prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aEZjZh3tqo&feature=youtu.be

Both teams perform in Group A of the tournament preliminary stage. Kanstantsin Kaltsou was the first from the Belarusian national hockey team to score a goal in the second minute of the first period.

Andrei Astashevich assisted by Alexander Lukashenko scored a hat-trick in the course of the game. The President of the Republic of Belarus became the author of the seventh goal to the good of the Belarusian team in the 40th minute of the game. During the last 20 minutes of the game, the UAE team diminished goal difference due to two successful shoots in the Belarus’ net.

The best players of the game became Omar Al-Shamisi and Andrei Astashevich.

The UAE team has taken part for the third time in the 13th Christmas International Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament. Last year the Belarusian hockey players also met the UAE team at the preliminary stage, when Belarus got victorious with a score 11:8. Hockey gains popularity in the UAE. The young has become actively interested in hockey with appearance the ice palace in Abu Dhabi.

The second day of tournament the UAE competes with Switzerland (14:00) in Group A, Belarus meets the Balkan team (19:00). On January 5, Russia plays with Finland game (13:00); then follows the match between Germany  and Slovakia (17:00).

The Christmas International Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament for the Prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus has been held in Minsk since 2005. The Belarusian President's team has won the tournament nine times (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016). Team Russia is a three-time champion (2007, 2011, and 2015).

The tournament was initiated by the President's Sports Club, the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation (BIHF), the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, and the Minsk City Administration.

Information and photo by BelTA http://www.belta.by/sport/view/komanda-belarusi-pobedila-na-starte-rozhdestvenskogo-turnira-sbornuju-oae-226777-2017/