President of the International Hockey Federation René Fasel.
Profimedia.cz
“Together with Horst Lichtner, we planned to travel to Minsk on Tuesday to discuss with the President of Belarus not only the security issues that affect the preparation of the tournament,” he said on the IIHF’s official website on Tuesday morning. But their positive test for covid-19 changed everything.
Not only the issue of security in Belarus, where protests against the regime have been violently suppressed for several months since President Lukashenko’s re-election in August, should have been on the table at a meeting between Fasel and the head of state.
The IOC banned Lukashenko from participating in the Olympic Games
The topic was also supposed to be the person of Dmitry Baskov, the head of the Belarusian hockey association, who is suspected of involvement in the murder of an opposition activist. “We also wanted to discuss this, as well as the current covid situation in the country, as well as steps to ensure that the tournament can be held safely and in cooperation with the co-organizer Latvia,” said Fasel.
IIHF President René Fasel and General Secretary Horst Lichtner are in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19. Statement from IIHF President René Fasel here: https://t.co/B5TodDEDEY pic.twitter.com/PoG0lnhXOj
– IIHF (@IIHFHockey) December 8, 2020
As early as August, Latvian Prime Minister Krišjánis Kariňš stated that he could not imagine organizing the World Cup together with Belarus, and in recent weeks there were voices that Moscow could co-host the next World Cup instead of Minsk. However, the IIHF called it speculation.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday banned Lukashenko, who has been head of the National Olympic Committee for 23 years, from participating in the Olympic Games. The IOC also called on sports federations not to plan to hold top events in Belarus.
Fasel already says he has a plan B. Belarus will take over the organizing of the World Cup! Who will replace Minsk?
In addition to Fasel’s meeting with Lukashenko, Friday’s virtual meeting of representatives of IIHF member countries was postponed indefinitely.
“The IIHF remains committed to ensuring that tournaments scheduled for the 2020/21 season can take place in a safe environment. We will continue to work with the organizing committees of all scheduled tournaments and to communicate with our members, “Fasel added, adding that further developments regarding the senior World Cup 2021 will be announced later.
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