Luc Tardif, President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), said the organization is under pressure to decide the future of the Russian and Belarusian national teams. Transmits words “Sports Express”.
“The pressure is everywhere. Some will bring back Russia and Belarus, some will play without them. But this does not affect our decision in any way. The question the IIHF will answer is: “Prague, Sweden, USA and Finland in a safe environment with Russia and Belarus Is it possible to organize a World Cup in ? No, we said too soon,” said the Tardif.
On January 25, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it was considering the possibility of allowing Russian athletes who did not support a special operation in Ukraine to participate in international competitions with neutral status.
Recall that the International Ice Hockey Federation previously decided to exclude Russian hockey players from participation in international tournaments, even with a neutral status, and took from Russia the right to host international home competitions.
Earlier, IOC President Thomas Bach spoke about the possible return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions. spoke against political influence on sport.