The host country of the World Championship rejects Russia – no visas for players!
The return of Russia to the ice hockey World Championships faces an obstacle. In January, the Czech Republic, which is hosting the under-18 girls’ World Championship, will not grant visas to Russian players.
According to the Czech iDNES.cz, the country’s leadership is not changing its stance, even though the international sports arbitration court CAS decided on Friday to allow Russia’s return to the International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF’s World Championships starting in December.
The Czech Minister of the Interior Lubomir Metnar reminds that short-term visas have not been granted to Russian citizens based on a regulation issued in 2023.
– Nothing has changed. The decision of the Swiss arbitration court does not bind us to anything, Metnar said.
The Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis also opposes the return of Russians to international competitions.
– There would be no sense in the return of Russians right now. It would be like saying that war is okay and killing people is okay. It is not okay, Babis stated.
President Petr Pavel has also announced his opposition to Russia’s participation in international sports events as long as the war in Ukraine continues.
The girls’ World Championships will be held in Ostrava from January 8 to 16.
Russia’s return to the World Championships has also sparked opposition elsewhere in Europe. In Germany, there has been consideration of denying visas to Russian players for the men’s World Championships in the spring.
The Finnish Ice Hockey Association announced on Monday that the Finnish national teams will not play against Russia as long as the offensive war continues.
The chairman of the Ice Hockey Association Heikki Hietanen has proposed a united front from several countries to refuse to face Russia. The Czech Republic has not yet officially joined Finland’s initiative.
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