GB WOMEN AND GB U18S OFF TO KOREA

Great Britain Women and Great Britain Under-18s will both travel to Korea next year for their respective World Championship tournaments.

Korea put in a bid to host both competitions in Gangneung as a taster event ahead of hosting the 2018 Olympics.

This decision was deferred by the IIHF at Congress in Moscow earlier this year, but it was approved today at Semi-Annual Congress in Paris.

Both tournaments will run from 2nd to 8th April 2017.

GB Women will go head-to-head with hosts Korea, as well as Australia, DPR Korea, Netherlands and Slovenia in Division 2A.

As well as facing Korea, GB U18s will also come up against Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania and Romania, also in Division 2A.

Ice Hockey UK general secretary, Andy French, said: “It is quite exciting for two of our teams to be going to Korea.

“Korea were very keen to hold both events in tandem as a way of getting ready for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

“It is sure to be a memorable week with two of our GB teams in one place.”