Prague, 15th June 2008 – The Unipetrol Group made a significant contribution to the installation of the in-line hockey rink at the Ivan Hlinka's Winter Stadium in Litvínov. It delivered the material for the new rink: the high-density polypropylene produced in Unipetrol RPA. It also helped with the installation of the in-line hockey rink surface. Today the rink will be officially opened for the public and for the Litvínov hockey team.
The Unipetrol Group has its key production area in Litvínov. It is also the general partner of the Litvínov hockey club via its subsidiary Benzina.
The newly-opened in-line hockey rink is only the 15th opened in the Czech Republic. Today at 14.00 hours it was be officially handed over to the HC Litvínov club by the Director of the Polyolefins Business Unit in Unipetrol RPA, Mr. Dariusz Woźniak. After that, in the return, final match of the in-line hockey extraliga of the Czech Republic in 2008 IHC Berounští Medvědi played IHC Reflex Zlín. The spectators, who brought their own in-line skates, could test the new surface for themselves after the game. The entrance for the spectators and the skating public was free.
The pilot project of the polypropylene surface installation was realised with the help of Stilmat, who is the producer of artificial surface parts. "Unipetrol RPA produces polyolefins. And one of the more than thirty types of polypropylene it produces, copolymer Mosten GB 506, is good for the parts of the artificial surfaces for in-line skating rinks“, says Tomáš Francírek, manager of the sales and marketing department in BU III in Unipetrol RPA.
Unipetrol RPA produces circa 210 thousand tons of polypropylene a year. Since mid-next year the production capacities will increase to 275 thousand tons a year. The material for high-quality in-line skating surface can be used in all the areas of human life.
Kamil Havelka, member of the committee of the HC Litvínov Civil Association, which will look after the newly-installed surface and manages the youth hockey in the club, stated: “The in-line hockey rink surface will give the hockey players in our club better training opportunities. It will notably expand the possibilities of recreational sports in the entire city and its surroundings and offers another possibility of active recreation for the public. With the help of David Balázs, the former extraliga hockey player and in-line hockey player, we would like to organise some big event in Litvínov for this sport in the next two years.
General information about in-line hockey and in-line surfaces:
In-line hockey is a young forward sport. It was born out of the general enthusiasm that broke out in the USA in the 80s. Thanks to the popularity of in-line hockey also ice hockey managed to get to the South of the USA!
In-line hockey maintains the simplicity of this team sport with no offsides and no icing. It can be played by anyone who plays or played ice hockey and can skate. The equipment is similar as in ice hockey, only lighter.
The Czech In-Line Hockey Association (ČAILH) was created in 1995. Since then it participates in the in-line hockey world championships. The first in-line hockey rink in the Czech Republic was built in 1996 Litoměřice.
Currently ČAILH has 3500 registered members, 2000 adult and 1500 youths. It organises the state championships for men, women, youths, senior trainees, junior trainees and training sessions.
In the in-line rink practically any sport can be played, save tennis. It is, of course, used for summer training of hockey teams, as well as public roller skating. The rinks can be rented for other sports: floorball, basketball, football, nohejbal (footballtennis), hockeyball, badminton. Therefore the rink also has nets, goals and baskets.
UNIPETROL is a group of companies operating in the petrochemical industry in the Czech Republic. In 2005 UNIPETROL became part of PKN ORLEN Group, the largest downstream oil company in Central Europe. UNIPETROL primarily focuses on crude oil processing, fuels distribution and petrochemical production. In all these areas UNIPETROL group is one of leading players in both the Czech and Central European markets. UNIPETROL is one of the Czech Republic’s most important companies in terms of revenues (89 bn CZK) and it employs approximately 4,500 people.
Contact:
Blanka Růžičková
Spokesperson
UNIPETROL, a.s.
Telephone: +420 225 001 407, +420 731 881 111
E-mail: blanka.ruzickova@unipetrol.cz