Lukashenka’s hockey team beats Latvia’s Saeima team

Belarus President’s ice hockey team beat the team of Latvia’s Saeima 7-5 in a friendly in Riga on 25 January.

The match took place at Indox Ledus Halle.

Denis Kurdeko and Oleg Antonenko (each twice), Dmitry Shulga, Gennady Savilov and Vladimir Tsyplakov scored for the Belarusian team.

Despite the meaninglessness of this exhibition game, the teams showed an intense tight-checking hockey. The Belarusian team took control of the game from the very start. Latvia tried to hold off Belarus’ offense, making sharp counterattacks from time to time. The match was held in a friendly atmosphere, free from rudeness and serious violations from both the teams.

The roster of the Lukashenka's team comprised: goalkeepers Dmitry Baskov and Vadim Pekarsky; defensemen Alexander Zelenko, Denis Matyukhin, Pavel Mikulchik, Vadim Salei, Vladimir Svito, Alexei Titovets, Alexei Khotko, Maksim Shimansky; forwards Oleg Antonenko, Vadim Bekbulatov, Alexei Vinokurov, Nikolai Vladykin, Dmitry Shulga, Andrei Kovalyov, Alexei Krutikov, Denis Kurdeko, Andrei Mikhalyov, Gennay Savilov, Vladimir Tsyplakov.

Riga hosted a return meeting. The first game was played at the ice center in Minsk’s Gorky Park on 12 October 2013. The match was won by the Belarusian team 6-5. The issue of organizing a series of friendlies between the Belarus President’s team and the team of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia was considered by the President’s Sports Club jointly with the Belarusian Information Center in Latvia following the relevant instructions of the Belarusian head of state.

The team of Latvia’s Saeima comprises former professional players and amateurs playing at Latvian tournaments.

Lukashenka’s team held their first training in July 1997. The team comprises former professional players, amateurs and the head of state. The Belarus President’s team have celebrated victories in friendlies over the veteran players of the USSR, Sweden, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Slovakia, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Austria. Apart from that the Belarus President’s team have become the winner of the Christmas Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament in Minsk eight times (in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014).