Dominik Hasek | Photo: “Hockeyfeed”
Czech hockey legend Dominiks Hašeks expressed his opinion on the participation of Russian athletes in sports competitions in an interview on the Latvian Television program “One to One”.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Hasek has strongly expressed his position in sports circles, strongly criticizing the fact that athletes from the aggressor countries can still participate in various sports competitions. “I have been very active since the first day of the war. I really do not like what is happening in Ukraine – Russian aggression, the fact that people are dying. It’s terrible, so I decided to be loud and active because I believe it can help Ukrainians because they are under attack,” Hasek said.
“I wrote an official letter to the NHL. I tried to explain why it is important that Russian players do not play in the NHL under the current conditions, I always say – under the current conditions. And the reason is simple – it is a huge advertisement for war. Russian players are Russian citizens, and every time they take to the ice, they legalize war. [NHL komisāra Gerija] Batman’s answer was simple – thank you, Dominic, for the letter, but I have a different opinion. After that, we didn’t contact each other until the NHL played two games in Prague in October.” Hasek said. “The point is this – please, NHL, or any competition or league, don’t help Vladimir Putin legalize war and don’t help him kill people. In the conditions of the moment, Russian players cannot go on the ice, because they promote the terrible war and all crimes, including genocide against children. It is a terrible thing.”
Alexander Ovechkin, who has publicly expressed his support for the Russian president, is still playing in the NHL. “What would I like to say to Alex? I do not know. I have nothing to say to him. He has his own conviction and what he feels is his decision. I think he is doing wrong, but it is his decision,” Hasek believes. “However, I will go back to what I said at the beginning – the NHL gives him a chance to go on the ice. Alexander Ovechkin is part of the NHL. The NHL promotes him, the NHL lets him play in the All-Star Game, lets him play every game and honors him. So the NHL is responsible for that. The NHL gives him the opportunity to promote the Russian war. This means that the NHL promotes the war and is responsible for the damage caused in Ukraine, the lost lives of Ukrainians – not only Ukrainians, of course, Russians also die there. I totally disagree with Ovechkin, but I will always blame the NHL for allowing him to promote Russia’s war.
Hašek on Ovechkin’s son’s participation in the All-Star Game: The NHL has sunk to the bottom
Hasek also opposes tennis legend Billie Jean King, who supports the opportunity for Russians and Belarusians to play. In tennis, athletes from aggressor countries are allowed to compete in neutral status. “Human life is more valuable to me than money. I really wish that Belarusian and Russian players earn their money,” Hasek said. “Already in the first letter to Batman, I asked him to pay the Russian players, but not allow them to play, because it costs lives in Ukraine. WTA and ATP are responsible for lost lives. I would like these organizations to pay these billions of dollars. This is not a punishment for the tennis players or the tennis organization. That’s what you have to do because you’ve created a huge advertisement for Putin’s war.”
The legendary goalkeeper of the Czech Republic also does not support the idea of boycotting the Olympic Games. “Boycotting the Olympics is the last thing to do. I’m surprised we’ve even gotten this far. Why did we talk about the boycott? We need to talk about the fact that there should not be even the slightest possibility that the athletes of Russia and Belarus can get full qualification,” Hašek said. “I have told the head of the Czech Olympic Committee to be stricter. The Russians must be absolutely clear that there is no chance for their athletes to compete in the current conditions. On the other hand, I say that it is not Russia that should be helped, but Russian athletes, so that they return and compete in conditions that do not help the Russian state and the Russian war.
The Czech hockey legend also expressed his opinion that Russian athletes who oppose the war should deserve to compete, but only on the condition that they do so on refugee teams. “Such athletes deserve to play in our leagues and go to the Olympic Games, but not in the Russian national team. They should be on the runaway team that has been there before. I know that there has been a team of African refugees, now there could be one for Russian athletes. This is how these athletes could be helped. Such athletes, be it a girl in tennis or a boy in swimming, would be the best ambassadors against the Russian war. But don’t let them compete as Russian citizens and represent Russia,” Hasek was sure.
Hasek continues to criticize the NHL: The league’s position supports war and Russian crimes
