Medvedev gives ice hockey squad Mercedes-Benz cars

Mercedes-Benz has proved to be the car manufacturer of choice for Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, as he has given vehicles of the fleet to all the members of the country's ice hockey team, it has been reported. In May, the Russian ice hockey team won the sport's world championship for the first time since 1993, when an overtime strike from Ilya Kovalchuk gave them a 5-4 win over hosts Canada. As a reward for the victory, the Russian government has opted to provide all the squad members with a new Mercedes-Benz, which also may prove to be an incentive to double up and win the upcoming Channel One Cup. Defender Daniil Markov told Russia Today: "The fact that we received the cars three days before the Channel One Cup definitely motivates the team, but we are playing at home so that is a motivation in itself." Forward Aleksey Tereshchenko added: "It's great to receive such gifts, especially when they come from the president. We still have a lot to prove to ourselves and the country. I think that after receiving this prize we should become world and Olympic champions countless times."