Report : IIHF will ban Russia and Belarus
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L. ViardFebruary 28, 2022 (10:33)
With the recent situation escalating and the whole Western world rallying behind Ukraine with lots of sanctions against Russia on all front, the sports world is deliberating on whether to punish Russian athletes.
Yesterday, Wayne Gretzky already suggested that Russia should not be allowed to play in the World Junior Hockey Tournament. Today, it's been announced that both Russia and Belarus are about to be thrown out of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
Russia won't host the 2023 World Juniors and World Championship. Russia and Belarus won't play in the next World Championship and they will be replaced by France and Austria. Also, the Hartwell Arena (home of the Jokerit Helsinki) won't be used by the IIHF.
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Russia's invasion of Ukraine under Putin's leadership has had terrible consequences in the sports world with organization all around the world taking measures to punish the Russians. The Olympic Board has recommended to exclude Russian and Belarus athletes and officials to participate. The F1 Grand Prix in Russia has been cancelled. The Champion's League final in St. Petersburg has been shifted to Paris. FIFA has banned Russia from hosting international football matches (it would have been complicated with the flight ban anyway!) and now this strong decision from the IIHF.
The question remains: is it fair to punish the athletes for their government actions?
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