Hockey The Finnish Hockey Association does not want Russia and Belarus to play in the World Cup: demands that they be excluded from international activities

Finland The Hockey Association announced that Russia and Belarus must be excluded from international hockey activities. Chairman Harri Nummelan According to the Finnish Federation, the Finnish Federation has been discussing the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) over the weekend and has made it clear that it does not intend to play against the national teams of Russia or Belarus.

Other key hockey countries have also been involved in the discussions. The reason for the boycott is Russia’s attack on Ukraine last week.

“We had these discussions actively over the weekend and also held a meeting with the President of the International Hockey Federation. Luc Tardiffin with. We have said that the Finnish Hockey Association demands that Russia and Belarus be completely excluded from international hockey activities and that we do not intend to play against the national teams of these countries, ”Nummela said in a press release sent on Monday morning.

Russian and Belarus’s participation in the World Championships in Helsinki and Tampere in May is impossible, according to the Finnish Hockey Association. Russia should play in the A-block in Helsinki and in the B-block in Tampere in Belarus. Finland will play its starting block in Tampere.

The press release also said that the hockey federations of Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic will discuss together today, on Monday, what changes the exclusion of Russia from international hockey activities will cause for the national team activities of the Euro Hockey Tour countries.

EHT is a competition played by the national teams of Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic and Russia during the season, which includes four tournaments. During this season, the Helsinki tournament was played in November and the Moscow tournament in December. Tournaments before the World Cup in the Czech Republic and Sweden would still be ahead.