L-R: Joël Bouzou (Peace and Sport), Beate Grupp (IIHF), Zsuzsanna Kolbenheyer (IIHF) with the Peace and Sport Award
photo: Peace and Sport
The Peace and Sport organization selected the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) as one of the winners at the Peace and Sport Awards ceremony that took place on the Greek island of Rhodes.
The awards were given to international and regional organizations for their contribution to positive social change through sport. The IIHF was awarded the Special Jury Prize for the achievement of the Unified Korean Women’s Ice Hockey team participating at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
“The IIHF and the ice hockey family are incredibly grateful and honoured to receive this award from Peace and Sport,” said IIHF President René Fasel. “I have to recognize and give sincere thanks to the Korea Ice Hockey Association and the Ice Hockey Association of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for their hard work and cooperation in turning this dream of a Unified Korea Olympic women’s ice hockey team into a reality.
“The Unified Korea team was not a project that happened overnight. It took many months, a lot of trips to Seoul and Pyongyang, and much goodwill and effort from the IIHF, POCOG, the KIHA and the DPRK Ice Hockey Association. We are extremely proud to see the sport of ice hockey has become a force for positive change in our world. Ice hockey is one of the best team sports there is, and the story of these 35 women who came together in PyeongChang is a testament to the best that sport can be.”
Peace and Sport founder Joël Bouzou handed the award to Beate Grupp and Zsuzsanna Kolbenheyer, who attended the ceremony on behalf of the IIHF. Former IIHF Council member Grupp was the liaison person between the IIHF and the Unified Korean Women’s Ice Hockey Team during the 2018 Olympics and recently published a book on the experiences with the team and project. IIHF Council member and IIHF Women’s Committee chair Kolbenheyer was the Chairwoman of the Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament directorate in PyeongChang 2018.
The 2018 Olympic Winter Games brought athletes from north and south of the Korean Peninsula together at the Olympics within a few weeks after political tension and threatening and helped pave the way for a dialogue between the leadership of the two Koreas and other countries involved after meetings at the Olympics including the ice hockey venue where the Unified Korean Women’s Ice Hockey Team played.
Athletes from north and south walked together at the opening ceremony under the unification flag but the highlight was that for the first time ever athletes from both parts of the Korean Peninsula were together on one and the same team in a Olympic competition thanks to the effort at the Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament. Click here for a behind-the-scenes story about how the dream of a Unified Korea team came true. Click here for the new book commemorating the Unified Korea team.
It is the second time that the IIHF has won a Peace and Sport Award since the start ten years ago. In 2012 the International Ice Hockey Federation was honoured for its Balkan project that brought together young players, coaches and officials from nine countries from a region where wars happened in the ‘90s to improve relations through the common goal of playing and developing the sport of ice hockey.
The awards were given to international and regional organizations for their contribution to positive social change through sport. The IIHF was awarded the Special Jury Prize for the achievement of the Unified Korean Women’s Ice Hockey team participating at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
“The IIHF and the ice hockey family are incredibly grateful and honoured to receive this award from Peace and Sport,” said IIHF President René Fasel. “I have to recognize and give sincere thanks to the Korea Ice Hockey Association and the Ice Hockey Association of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for their hard work and cooperation in turning this dream of a Unified Korea Olympic women’s ice hockey team into a reality.
“The Unified Korea team was not a project that happened overnight. It took many months, a lot of trips to Seoul and Pyongyang, and much goodwill and effort from the IIHF, POCOG, the KIHA and the DPRK Ice Hockey Association. We are extremely proud to see the sport of ice hockey has become a force for positive change in our world. Ice hockey is one of the best team sports there is, and the story of these 35 women who came together in PyeongChang is a testament to the best that sport can be.”
Peace and Sport founder Joël Bouzou handed the award to Beate Grupp and Zsuzsanna Kolbenheyer, who attended the ceremony on behalf of the IIHF. Former IIHF Council member Grupp was the liaison person between the IIHF and the Unified Korean Women’s Ice Hockey Team during the 2018 Olympics and recently published a book on the experiences with the team and project. IIHF Council member and IIHF Women’s Committee chair Kolbenheyer was the Chairwoman of the Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament directorate in PyeongChang 2018.
The 2018 Olympic Winter Games brought athletes from north and south of the Korean Peninsula together at the Olympics within a few weeks after political tension and threatening and helped pave the way for a dialogue between the leadership of the two Koreas and other countries involved after meetings at the Olympics including the ice hockey venue where the Unified Korean Women’s Ice Hockey Team played.
Athletes from north and south walked together at the opening ceremony under the unification flag but the highlight was that for the first time ever athletes from both parts of the Korean Peninsula were together on one and the same team in a Olympic competition thanks to the effort at the Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament. Click here for a behind-the-scenes story about how the dream of a Unified Korea team came true. Click here for the new book commemorating the Unified Korea team.
It is the second time that the IIHF has won a Peace and Sport Award since the start ten years ago. In 2012 the International Ice Hockey Federation was honoured for its Balkan project that brought together young players, coaches and officials from nine countries from a region where wars happened in the ‘90s to improve relations through the common goal of playing and developing the sport of ice hockey.