A blow to Putin and Lukashenko: Canada closes the gates of the World Championship

Canada is closing its doors to athletes from Russia and Belarus at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, defying the decision of the International Court of Arbitration for Sport. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced this at a press conference, citing the war in Ukraine as the reason. Additional European countries are joining the opposition.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada will not allow ice hockey players from Russia and Belarus to participate in the World Junior Championships, set to open next month in Alberta. The decision comes in defiance of a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which last week determined that Russians must be allowed to compete in International Ice Hockey Federation events. Carney justified the decision by citing the illegal war in Ukraine, stating that as long as the war continues, no Russian or Belarusian athlete will compete in Canada. The announcement coincides with a wave of opposition in Europe: the hockey associations of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and the Czech Republic have announced they will refuse to take the ice against the Russian national team at the senior World Championships in Germany next year. The Canadian step increases pressure on the International Ice Hockey Federation.