Hockey legend Hasek calls for suspension of Russian athletes

“I have written the attached open letter to draw global attention to how some sporting competitions in the world are contributing to the war and unrest in Europe, which is claiming hundreds, even thousands, of lives every day,” Hasek said in a Twitter post.

“It’s in an effort to save these lives and speed up the end of the war in Ukraine; Russian athletes should not participate in international competitive sport at this time – for the reasons (described in the) attached (letter).”

Hasek also accused Russia of illegally annexing Ukrainian territories and destroying civilian infrastructure.

Read also: Putin denounces imperialism while annexing large swathes of Ukraine

Dominik also spoke about the brutal crimes of Russian troops and the kidnappings of Ukrainian children, calling it all “a genocide.” He expressed confidence that after the withdrawal of invading troops from the territory of Ukraine, Russia has to be held accountable for its crimes.

Read also: Avenue of Victims of Russian aggression appears outside Russian Embassy in Warsaw

Hasek noted that international sports organizations which didn’t ban Russian athletes from their competitions are also partially responsible for enabling Russian aggression.

Dominik Hasek is a Czech former hockey player, most famously known for being the goaltender of NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, and is widely regarded as one of the best goaltenders of all time.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine