Norway withdraws bid for 2027 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship
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The International Ice Hockey Federation announced on Saturday that the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation has formally withdrawn its bid to host the 2027 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
The IIHF states the reason for the withdrawal is due to lack of funding from the Norwegian government, adding that the Ministry of Culture and Equality, which is responsible for sports in Norway, rejected the application for funding for the bid that foresaw Baerum in the Oslo region as well as Trondheim as venues.
“We are of course disappointed by the refusal without a dialogue beforehand,” said NIHF President Tage Pettersen in a statement. “An Ice Hockey World Championship will be the biggest winter sports event since the 1994 Olympics, and will mean a lot for Norwegian sport. In our application, the NIHF has planned for the reuse of facilities and investment in sustainability.”
Norway has previously hosted the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in 1999 and the 1994 Olympics.
Germany and Kazakhstan have become the frontrunners to get the hosting rights for the 2027 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
The 2023 IIHF Hockey World Championship kicks off in Finland and Latvia in May, when the Annual Congress will vote on the allocation of the tournament.