MEXICO CITY – The tournament directorate of the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championship Division IIIA in Mexico City has postponed the games at the championship due to a faulty ventilation system in the San Jeronimo Arena. The organizers are hoping to fix the problem quickly so the tournament can be completed.

On March 3, the game between New Zealand and South Africa was suspended after fumes in the air made those in the arena ill, at which time the arena staff discovered the ventilation problem.

“There is no doubt that the health of the participants is our priority,” says Ernest Aljancic, the IIHF Council Member who is the tournament chairman in Mexico City. “The games scheduled for Monday had to be postponed as games would put the health of the players and officials into risk. We will work closely with the host organizers to address the problem. We will have a new meeting on Tuesday to decide how to proceed with the event.”