Hockey players from the Russian Federation and Belarus are suspended from tournaments for another year
February 13, 2024
The Russian and Belarusian national hockey teams have been suspended from international competition for another year. The decision was taken by the Council of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), according to a statement from the organization, published on Monday, February 12.
“Based on an in-depth analysis, the board came to the conclusion that the return of the Russian and Belarusian teams to IIHF competitions is not yet safe, and therefore these teams will not participate in the 2024/25 season”, says the document.
Russia and Belarus will lose another World Hockey Championship
The Russian and Belarusian teams have already missed the 2022 and 2023 World Cups and will now not be able to participate in the 2024 World Cup. Furthermore, Belarus will not be able to participate in the final selection phase of the 2026 Olympic Games, which will be held in August this year.
The press release notes that the IIHF Board will continue to monitor the situation and will consider the possibility of participation of the Russian and Belarusian national hockey teams in the 2025/26 international tournaments in May 2025.
Following Russia’s armed invasion of Ukraine, the Russian and Belarusian hockey teams, as well as athletes from these two countries in most other sports, were suspended from international competition.
Source: DW
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