The International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned the suspension of Russian ice hockey teams, clearing a path for their potential return to the World Championship despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In a rare alignment of political positions, representatives from the AfD and Die Linke have advocated for Russia’s participation in the 2027 World Championship, which is scheduled to be held in Germany. Jörn König, the sports policy spokesperson for the AfD parliamentary group, told the news outlet ZDFheute.de that he views the move as a return to normalcy.
König, who stated that he condemns the Russian war in Ukraine, argued that the United States was never excluded from international competition despite conducting what he termed “wars in violation of international law.”
Christian Görke, the sports policy spokesperson for the Left Party, echoed the sentiment that the CAS ruling should be accepted. Görke stated that the sporting community should not continue to close its eyes to the “regrettable reality,” noting that Russian athletes have already returned to competition in various other sports.
A spokesperson for the Minister of State for Sport, Ronald Rauhe, informed ZDFheute.de that a Russian presence would make hosting the tournament “factually impossible” for both sporting and economic reasons. The government and the DEB remain in close contact, maintaining a shared commitment to a “restrictive visa policy towards Russia.”
World champion Finland has signaled it would boycott the tournament if Russia is permitted to participate. Similarly, ahead of the upcoming U20 World Championship, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated that no visas would be issued for a Russian team. Numerous other nations have already declared their intention to refuse to play against Russian sides if they are permitted to enter the field of play.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is managing the consequences of the late-October CAS decision. The governing body has announced steps to implement the court’s ruling while simultaneously engaging in discussions with various federations to resolve the problem. Reports suggest that the IIHF is attempting to persuade the Russian federation diplomatically to abstain from participating in the tournament.
No final decision regarding the official roster for the 2027 tournament has been confirmed.
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