An international amateur hockey tournament in Richmond has been postponed for a third time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CARHA Hockey World Cup – which was first slated for March 2020 and was set to go March this year – has now been put off until 2023.
Organizers say the ongoing pandemic means the event simply can’t be safely planned, with the tournament set to feature nearly 3,000 athletes representing 140 teams from 15 countries.
New dates are being finalized and will be released shortly.
The decision was reached as a result of the growing challenges presented by the new variant, specifically Omicron, and “out of an abundance of caution for all those involved.”
“The health and safety of the players and the community of Richmond is of utmost priority as preparations were underway to host the largest international adult recreational hockey tournament,” read CARHA’s statement.
The City of Richmond’s manager of Sport Hosting, Pam Lacroix, said that postponing the event was “unfortunate but necessary given the state of the pandemic locally and globally.”
The week-long tournament is a celebration of hockey that includes more than 260 games, opening and closing ceremonies and camaraderie for the hockey community in the athletes’ village.
“Although postponing the CARHA Hockey World Cup is not what we had hoped for, our association believes it is the right decision,” said says Lori Lopez, CARHA’s executive director.
“We are confident that with this decision, we will be in a better position to provide adult recreational hockey teams from around the world the opportunity to join us in what is sure to be a spectacular hockey experience of a lifetime while keeping everyone safe.”
