Soviet Union national bandy team

Soviet Union
Association Federation of bandy and field hockey USSR
Team colors          
First international
Soviet Union Soviet Union 2 – 1 Finland Finland
Moscow, 24 February 1954
Biggest win
Soviet Union Soviet Union 21 – 1 United States United States
Skövde, 1 February 1987
Biggest defeat
Sweden Sweden 9 – 3 Soviet Union Soviet Union
Helsinki, 20 February 1983
Final international
Soviet Union Soviet Union 4 – 3 Sweden Sweden
Helsinki, 23 March 1991
Bandy World Championship
Appearances 17 (first in 1957)
Best result 1. (1957, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1985, 1989, 1991)

The Soviet Union national bandy team represented the Soviet Union in bandy. It was controlled by the Federation of bandy and field hockey USSR.

After having seen Finland, Norway and Sweden playing bandy at the Winter Olympics in Oslo in 1952, the Soviet Union invited these three countries to a four nation bandy tournament in 1954. This was the first time a Soviet national bandy team met other national bandy teams. The four countries used somewhat different rules prior to this tournament, but the rules were adjusted to be the same for the future.[1]

The Soviet team dominated the World Championships of bandy from its start in 1957[2] until the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, winning the first eleven championships (biennial tournaments from 1961) and winning all but three championships that they competed in.[3] Its place in the championship was then taken over by Russia.

The Soviet Union also won the Rossiya Tournament eight times in ten appearances. In 1992 this tournament had changed names to Russian Government Cup and replacing the Soviet national bandy team, a bandy team representing the Commonwealth of Independent States made a one-time appearance there, also playing against the new Russia national bandy team.[4]

References

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