HOCKEY

Ex-head coach of Kyiv Sokil, Anatoly Bohdanov, currently working on contract in Finland, will head the Ukrainian national team in the B group world championship, which will take place in Slovenia this Spring. This decision was adopted by the Ukrainian Hockey Federation, but final approval should be granted by the State Sports Committee. Oleksandr Seukandy, Kyiv Sokil head coach, and Vasyl Fadeev, club manager, will assist him. The draft roster of the team has already been fixed. Among candidates there are goalie Valery Shundrov, offensive players Anatoly Stepanishchev and Vitaly Litvinenko, defenders Oleh Polkovnikov (all are playing in Russian clubs under contracts) and Valery Shyryaev (under contract in Switzerland). Candidate of goalies Oleksandr Vyukhin and forward Oleksiy Traseukh have been taken off the draft roster, since they taken Russian citizenship and can no longer defend the Ukrainian colors.

The soccer team seems not to suffer from a lack of skilled players, but the decision on the national team head coach has not been made yet. This question was taken off the agenda of the regular session of the Ukrainian Football Federation executive committee. The appointment of Valery Lobanovsky to the post appears most logical. He would then name his assistants. But it seems, that so far Lobanovsky has not announced to federation president and Prime Minister Valery Pustovoitenko his readiness to accept the post.