Da ieri, lunedì 21 settembre 2009, anche l’Italia è un membro ufficiale della IIHF, la Federazione Internazionale di Hockey Ghiaccio.
Difatti dopo una serie di ultimatum nei quali l’Italia non poteva essere rappresentata dalla Fisg (Federghiaccio) in quanto Federazione non indipendente e specifica e comunque già membra dell’ISU (Internation Skatinng Union) e solo a seguito della nascita della Associazione Italiana Hockey su ghiaccio (IIHA, Italian Ice Hockey Association) l’Italia è potuta entrare a far parte del Consiglio della IIHF.
Di seguito il comunicato stampa in lingua inglese riportato dal sito www.iihf.com:
The IIHF Congress granted the Italian Ice Hockey Association (IIHA) full membership with full voting rights during the Semi-Annual Congress in Tunis. Before, Italy was represented by the Italian Ice Sports Federation (FISG) as an associate member. The IIHA proved that the nature of its relationship with the FISG and the steps taken by the IIHA and agreed by the FISG warrant them being regarded as independent within the intention of the IIHF Statutes & Bylaws. The IIHA will represent and vote with the elected IIHA president and have its own bank account with the sole signatories being designated members of the IIHA. The IIHA still reports to FISG and not directly to the National Olympic Committee to benefit from the funding program to the FISG, which is shared between the ice sports and gives considerably more money to ice hockey than if the IIHA would report directly to the National Olympic Committee. In most aspects, the IIHA operates independently of the FISG with the clubs electing the board and the President, determine its constitution, strategy, operating plans, controlling its own operations, marketing and retaining the proceeds from the sale of commercial rights. “The Council made the judgement that the Italian Ice Hockey Association has a sufficient degree of independence and the Council proposes an upgrade to full membership,” IIHF Council Member Frederick Meredith said at the Semi-Annual Congress.
