The organizers are not dreamers: they are aware that there will be a lot of empty seats, Saturday and Sunday at the Vaudoise arena in Lausanne, during the final phase of the Swiss Women’s Ice Hockey Cup. Saturday’s semi-finals between Davos and Zug (1:30 p.m.) and between Ambri and Gottéron (5 p.m.) as well as Sunday’s finals at 12 p.m. (3rd place) and 4 p.m. (1st place) will not generate crowds at the ticket offices and turnstiles. .
“And so, asks Marc-Anthony Anner, interim president of Swiss Ice Hockey? The main thing is to know where we want to go, to have a project and a plan. We have it and, this weekend in Lausanne, we will experience the start of an adventure.”
The project? By 2030, Swiss Ice Hockey intends to organize a Women’s World Cup in Switzerland and aims to see the white cross selection skating in a well-stocked, if not completely full, venue.
The plan? It consists of growing women’s hockey in the country with the support of Swiss Olympic, professional men’s organizations and going to the Olympic Games, both in 2026 in Italy and in 2030 in France, with the objective of winning a medal.
-“While we have these ambitions,” continues Anner, “it is normal to allow our hockey players to play high-stakes matches like Cup finals in beautiful infrastructures.” The message: we believe in you and we support the development of your sport.
Over the last four years, women’s hockey has recorded 400 new licensees. There are now 2000 of them practicing this discipline in the country. “Abroad, in European countries close to home, Federations are providing resources to accelerate the movement,” explains Anner. We have no intention of being overtaken.”
