A court opened the door to Russia’s hockey return – politicians want it slammed shut, and some fans have had enough
When Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney decided to refuse visas to Russians to play in next month’s World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, he became the first elected leader to openly ignore a court ruling and international sports federation decision. In doing so, he unleashed dangerous and virulent anti-Russian forces in his own country, setting back sports diplomacy over 50 years.
The week before, on October 30, the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) voted to allow Russian and Belarusian teams back into international play. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) accepted the decision and a plethora of national federations in Europe reacted predictably.
Eight countries, including Latvia and France, stated that they would boycott any games with Russia. Germany, the host of the 2027 IIHF World Championships, objected but accepted Russia’s return, with only Slovakia welcoming it. Sponsors of the event in Germany have either pulled out or threatened to do so.
What seems to be missing in this entire ‘discussion’ is what hockey fans think. Not the ‘nafoids’ and bots online who rant and rage against all things Russian. Not the opinion of the handful of Canadian-Ukrainians who protested in Ottawa at the visit of Russian star Alexander Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals. And certainly not grandstanding by politicians and sports administrators beholden to them. The voices of actual hockey fans are being studiously ignored by the media – so too the inherent danger posed by Russian or Belarusian teams competing in international competitions.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: rt.com
