Lithuania offers to host hockey championship

VILNIUS, Lithuania — Lithuania offered to replace ousted Belarus as cohost of this year’s hockey world championships on Thursday.

Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė “discussed Lithuania’s determination” to cohost the tournament with neighbouring Latvia in a call with IIHF president Rene Fasel.

Fasel was a long-time supporter of Belarus continuing as co-host until accepting it had to change plans in fallout from the disputed re-election last year of authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko. Sponsors had told the IIHF they would withdraw if Belarus was retained.

Lithuania, which has not qualified for the men’s championship, offered the cities of Vilnius and Kaunas for the tournament, which is scheduled to run from May 21 to June 6.