Novomoskovsk, Russia, March 6, 2018 – Teams from eight nations took part in this week’s draw for the EuroChem Cup, the world’s premier international ice hockey competition for children aged 10-12.

For the first time in the event’s six-year history, the United States will send a team to compete alongside regular entrants from Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Switzerland and the host nation, Russia.

The tournament, commonly referred to as the unofficial world championships for kids hockey, runs May 25-30, 2018, at the Jubilee Ice Palace in Novomoskovsk, a city of 130,000 located 150 miles/220 kilometers south of Moscow.

Competition format:

• The teams face off in a round-robin format within their groups
• Those with the best records meet in the quarterfinals
• Prizes will be on offer to the players with the top skills!

VIP guests

Some of history’s greatest hockey players will be VIP guests at the tournament. Last year’s event saw the likes of Alexandre Yakushev, Sergei Fedorov, Pavel Bure and Vyacheslav Fetisov take to the ice for a game against the kids.

Social responsibility

An important community-building initiative that forms a key pillar of the company’s social and sustainability drive, the EuroChem Cup was created in 2013, initially incorporating teams from areas where it has operations around the world and subsequently relaxing entry rules to allow more children to play.

VADIM ZHERZDEV, Head of the Novomoskovsk municipal administration:

“For the sixth time we are hosting this wonderful tournament run by EuroChem, and for the sixth time we can make a case for saying that this is really a children’s world championship. Look at the geography of the event. For us this is a real festival. The tournament coincides with our City Day, and it’s become such a part of local tradition that we can’t imagine our city without it.”

ALEXANDER SAVENKOV, Executive Director, Azot Novomoskovsk fertilizer plant:

“EuroChem invests in fantastic events like these so that our children, the generation of the future, grow up understanding the importance of sport and a healthy lifestyle. This is an investment not just in a competition or ice rink, but in a community. Building communities around EuroChem’s operations is critical to our success as a business, and crucial to the wellbeing of our employees.”

The event is recognized and supported at the municipal, regional and federal level, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation backing the EuroChem Cup as an important instrument of cultural exchange among nations. Top officials from the city of Novomoskovsk, the Tula Region, and the Foreign Ministry will be among the honored guests.