BOBRUISK, Belarus – Only three ice rinks existed when Belarus gained independence in 1992, the same year as the Belarus Ice Hockey Association was founded. Now, new rinks are built every year. The biggest arena – at least for now – was opened in Bobruisk last weekend.

The 7.000-seater Bobruisk Arena was built on a historical site. The Bobruisk fortress was once situated there. After nearly two years of construction, the arena, which was part of the lost bid for the 2013 IIHF World Championship, held its opening ceremony last weekend.

Even though the arena is planned to accommodate 15 sports and other cultural events, ice hockey was in the centre of attention. Saturday’s highlight was an opening game featuring the President’s team. As the name implies, Alexander Lukashenko, the president of the country, was playing as did his son.

Other participants were the coaches of the Belarusian national team and of Yunost Minsk, and former NHL players Vladimir Tsyplakov, Oleg Mikulchik and Alexander Andrievski among others. The President’s team beat the World Stars, 13-10, who were coached by Canadian Wayne Fleming, the new assistant coach of the Belarusian national team and main candidate to coach Dynamo Minsk.

Also Fleming had a team with familiar names, including former Soviet national team legends like Igor Larionov, Sergei Makarov and Helmuts Balderis and also ex-greats Glenn Anderson, Esa Tikkanen, Sakari Lindfors and Jakob Kolliker. IIHF Council member Alexander Medvedev and Russia’s Minister of the Interior, Rashid Nurgaliev, were also playing for the World Stars.

The local hockey authorities have the ambition to form a professional hockey club in Bobruisk that will be competing in the Belarusian Extraliga.

The construction of the Bobruisk Arena is part of a program which envisions that every city with a population of around 100,000 should have an ice rink. Currently, 16 cities are in this range or above.

Despite the new arena, the bragging rights will soon belong to the nation’s capital.

A 15,000-seater arena in Minsk (140 kilometres from Bobruisk) will open next year and it will be part of a new World Championship bid.