On April 4, an official press conference was held in Yerevan dedicated to the upcoming Ice Hockey World Championship in Division IV, which will take place in the Armenian capital from April 13 to 19, 2025.
Key figures of Armenian hockey attended the event: President of the Hockey Federation of Armenia Vagram Sargsyan, head coach of the national team Vadim Guskov, and team captain Eduard Malakyan.
Organizational Efforts and International Support
Federation President Vagram Sargsyan provided a detailed overview of the large-scale preparations for the tournament. He emphasized that hosting a championship of this level was only possible thanks to coordinated support from both public and private sectors.
“Imagine — it would have been impossible to organize this championship alone. So I want to express gratitude to everyone who supports sports in our country,” said Sargsyan.
He gave special thanks to the Sports Department of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, and to Fastex and Yo Health, the general sponsors of the tournament. Particular attention was paid to Karen Giloyan, whose personal involvement, according to Sargsyan, was a decisive factor in Armenia securing the right to host the event.
Sargsyan also announced that all matches will be broadcast on the Fast TV platform, ensuring a broad audience reach. The support of the Yerevan Municipality Sports Department, as well as the active involvement of Arsen Makvetsyan and gymnast Vaagn Davtyan, were praised for their contribution to the development of Armenian hockey.
Return After a Long Break
The World Championship in Yerevan is a milestone for Armenian hockey. It marks the first international tournament after the Armenian team’s disqualification in 2008 and symbolizes the country's return to the international stage.
Head coach Vadim Guskov stated that the team is solely focused on victory. According to him, the main rivals will be Uzbekistan and Kuwait, both of which have strong teams. Most players on Uzbekistan's team play in Kazakhstan’s strong league for the team "Humo", and Kuwait has many naturalized players from Russia with experience at a high level.
New Captain with International Experience
During the press conference, the new captain of the Armenian team was introduced — Eduard Malakyan, a 24-year-old defenseman for the Pyunik Hockey Club. Born in Moscow, Malakyan began his career with the junior team “White Bears”, played in the USPHL from 2017 to 2021, and since 2023 has represented Pyunik in the AHL. His international experience and leadership qualities will be a valuable asset to the team’s success.
Participants and Tournament Schedule
Six national teams will take part in the tournament: Armenia, Iran, Kuwait, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Uzbekistan. All games will be held at the Ice Palace at 27/10 Admiral Isakov Avenue.
Match Schedule:
April 13 (Sunday)
14:00 — Indonesia vs Iran
17:00 — Kuwait vs Uzbekistan
20:00 — Armenia vs Malaysia
April 14 (Monday)
14:00 — Kuwait vs Indonesia
17:00 — Iran vs Malaysia
20:00 — Uzbekistan vs Armenia
April 16 (Wednesday)
14:00 — Iran vs Uzbekistan
17:00 — Indonesia vs Malaysia
20:00 — Kuwait vs Armenia
April 17 (Thursday)
14:00 — Uzbekistan vs Indonesia
17:00 — Malaysia vs Kuwait
20:00 — Armenia vs Iran
April 19 (Saturday)
14:00 — Malaysia vs Uzbekistan
17:00 — Indonesia vs Armenia
20:00 — Iran vs Kuwait
