FIB has a clear focus on developing the bandy in several different areas. How can the federation contribute to the bandy in countries with ambition to develop in a number of different areas? That is a key issue. Therefore, an analysis work is currently underway during the World Championship in Irkutsk together with the nations in Group B. This is to identify the needs of the nations to be able to develop the sport and to see what problems and opportunities exist.
Thony Lindqvist
Thony Lindqvist and Evgeny Epifanov has been commissioned to carry out the analysis in Irkutsk this week. Both with a lot of experience of national and international bandy. Thony has been a successful player and is still working with Skutskär’s women’s team in Sweden. He has both played and worked as head coach for many years in both Sweden and Russia. He has also been working with education at the Bandy High School in Sandviken. Evgeny was born in Russia and played both bandy and football as a junior in Moscow. In Germany he also played bandy in the national team for several years and cooperated with nearby European countries to develop bandy. He is also member of FIB Executive Committee.
Evgeny Epifanov
The interviews with leaders and coaches in Irkutsk are about many things. How much the number of players in the countries have changed in recent years, the skills of leaders/coaches, the conditions regarding ice rinks and equipment and not least the needs and wishes of the nations themselves for the development of the sport.
The report from Thony and Evgeny will be communicated to FIB’s congress during the World Championship tournament for Group A in a few weeks. Then FIB will take the ideas further in its development work together with the teams in Group B.
An important news in this context is the plans for construction of a new full-sized art-frozen arena for bandy in Zurich, Switzerland. That will be important for the development of bandy in central Europe.