Russia, Belarus teams out of 2023-24 season -IIHF
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[March 23, 2023]
GENEVA (Reuters) - The
ice hockey teams of Russia and Belarus will be barred from taking part
in international competitions in the 2023-2024 season, the sport's
governing body said on Wednesday, citing safety concerns.
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The logo of the International Ice Hockey
Federation (IIHF) is seen in front of its seat in Zurich, Switzerland
April 26, 2016. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann |
"The IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation)
council determined that it is not yet safe to reincorporate the
Russian and Belarusian teams back into IIHF competitions, and
that it will not be safe for the upcoming 2023/2024 IIHF
Championship season," it said in a statement.
The IIHF suspended all Russian and Belarusian national teams and
clubs from taking part in international events in every age
category following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last year. It
later moved the 2023 world championships out of St Petersburg.
"It's too soon to reintegrate Russia and Belarus in our
competitions," IIHF President Luc Tardif said following the
organisation's council meeting.
Tardif cited "too many risks" to the safety of players,
officials and fans as the reason behind the decision.
He said the IIHF would reassess the situation in March 2024,
before the start of qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics in
Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.
(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Ed Osmond)
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