Belarus, Russia barred from competing in IIHF tournaments until war ends

IIHF will not allow Belarus and Russia to compete in their tournaments until the end of the war / mk.ru
IIHF will not allow Belarus and Russia to compete in their tournaments until the end of the war / mk.ru

The hockey teams of Belarus and Russia will not be allowed to participate in competitions under the auspices of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) until the war is over. This was stated by the president of the federation Luke Tardif, reports espn.com.

Currently, both countries are banned from participating in IIHF competitions until 2024. A decision on the participation of Belarus and Russia in the 2025 competition will be made in March 2024, Tardif said. He expressed hope that both teams will return to the competition as soon as possible, as it will mean that the war is over.

"I understand that sometimes there is a political approach," Tardif said Sunday. "As a human being, I've got my own understanding of the situation. But with my IIHF cap, I have to take the decision following our executive and to protect our competition," the head of the federation stressed.
 

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