Lithuania offers to replace Belarus as hockey worlds co-host

Updated Jan. 21, 2021 9:31 a.m. ET

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VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuania offered to replace ousted Belarus as co-host of this year's hockey world championships on Thursday.

Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė “discussed Lithuania’s determination” to co-host the tournament with neighboring Latvia in a call with International Ice Hockey Federation president René Fasel, the Baltic nation's government said.

Fasel was a long-time supporter of Belarus continuing as co-host until

Lithuania’s government said the decision “should have been done earlier” to move the tournament.

“Logistically, organizing the tournament in the neighboring countries would also be much more convenient under the conditions of the pandemic,” Šimonytė said.

Lithuania, which has not qualified for the men's championship, offered the cities of Vilnius and Kaunas for the tournament, which is scheduled to run from May 21 to June 6.

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