Ice cold justice: Russia and Belarus still sidelined in world hockey championships

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced the decision to extend the suspension of the Russian and the Belarusian national and club teams into IIHF Competitions after the IIHF Council concluded that it is not yet safe to reincorporate them during one of its regularly scheduled meetings on Feb. 12.

Previously, the Belarusian team was also excluded from Olympic qualification rounds, where it was slated to compete against Ukraine.

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"The IIHF Council reviewed current safety risks associated with reincorporating the Russian and Belarusian National and Club Teams into IIHF Competitions. Based on thorough analysis, we concluded that it is not yet safe to welcome back the Russian and Belarusian Teams into IIHF Competitions," the IIHF stated.

Therefore, Russia and Belarus will not participate in the 2024/2025 IIHF championship season, in particular, in the 2024 and 2025 World Championships. This continuation of their suspension follows an initial ban enacted in February 2022, in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Belarus's involvement also being a factor.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine