Vladimir Putin put out a statement through the state-run Russian outlet TASS calling out organizations that are preventing Russian athletes from competing for their country.
The statement comes as Hockey Canada and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced, despite the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) lifting the ban, that Russian athletes will not be able to participate in next month’s World Junior Championships in Alberta.
“Unfortunately, they have not honored the commitments they once made, and they continue to enforce restrictions against Russian sports that are not based on law, but are instead highly politicized,” Putin said, via translation. “This constitutes a clear and gross violation of the law and of judicial rulings — and, by extension, a violation of the very institutions of democracy. That is precisely how this should be interpreted.”
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Russia did not compete in Olympic hockey earlier this year, the first since 2014 that had NHL players, nor was it included in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off . Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, four days after Olympic competition ended that year.
Belarusian Foreign Ministry also accused Canada of discrimination.
“A country hosting an international sporting event is required to ensure that participants are admitted—this is a fundamental principle of organizing any international tournament. The denial of visas constitutes discrimination on the basis of nationality and contradicts the Olympic principle of ‘sport outside of politics…'” Ruslan Varanov, spokesperson for the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Thursday.
“Winners in sports should be determined on the field, not at visa centers.”
The CAS ruled on Friday that Russian teams can compete in upcoming men’s and women’s world championships, overturning the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) decisions to exclude them from its competitions. The World Juniors will be the first tournament affected by the decision.
Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Norway, Latvia and Denmark came out with statements signing up for a boycott of games against Russia as long as the war in Ukraine is ongoing.
“While Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal and unjustified horrific war in Ukraine, as long as that’s going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada,” Carney said. “So, if you’re asking specifically about the World Juniors, the Russians will not be there.”
“Hockey Canada thanks the Government of Canada for today’s strong position that Canada intends to prevent Russian and Belarusian officials and athletes from participating under their national symbols in international sporting events taking place on Canadian soil,” Hockey Canada said in a statement. “We will be meeting with our Board of Directors this week to discuss next steps given the government’s clear position.”
STRAUSS, a workwear company that is a top sponsor of the world championships next year, threatened to walk away after Finland announced Monday it was rallying other nations to refuse to play Russia.
“We have been a partner of the Ice Hockey World Championship for many years and value our collaboration with the IIHF. Should Russia’s national team participate in the 2027 World Championship in Germany as a result of the CAS ruling, we will forgo all logo exposure associated with the tournament. We are also considering withdrawing as a sponsor,” STRAUSS said Tuesday.
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If Russia makes the trip next month, it will be its first time playing in the World Juniors since 2021. It has not won gold since 2011.