BERN, Switzerland (AP) — Swiss soccer’s annual awards ceremony scheduled for next week was postponed Monday as the nation mourns the fatal fire tragedy on New Year’s Day at a bar in Crans-Montana.
The Swiss Football League said jointly with the national soccer federation “holding the event is not appropriate” in Bern on Jan. 12, and a decision will be taken later on whether to reschedule it.
Awards at “Swiss Football Night” include the best players in the men’s and women’s national teams and national leagues.
The annual “Swiss Sports Awards” live television broadcast scheduled Sunday also was postponed during the period of national mourning.
Skier Camille Rast, who is from the Valais canton (state) that includes Crans-Montana, wore a black armband when winning back-to-back World Cup races in Slovenia at the weekend.
Swiss citizens made up the majority of 40 people killed and 116 injured in the fire that tore through a busy ski resort bar during New Year celebrations.
Investigators believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling.
Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the two bar managers suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire.
Crans-Montana will host World Cup downhill races for men and women at a Jan. 30-Feb. 1 meeting which is the last before Alpine skiers go to the Milan Cortina Olympics that open Feb. 6.
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