Ovechkin said Russian athletes were put aside and not allowed to play
The captain of the club of the National hockey League (NHL) “Washington Capitals” Alexander Ovechkin spoke about the removal of Russian athletes from international tournaments. His words are available on the KION website.
“We were just put aside and not allowed to play. Although they say that sport is out of politics, it turned out that the opposite is true. Of course, it’s a shame both for myself and for the people who are sick, worried, ”said the hockey player.
Ovechkin noted that the Russians from the NHL could not play in the last two Olympic games due to the league’s ban on participation in the tournament. “It’s all money. They don’t care about us. The most important thing is that they get some interest. Although we were told that we are 100 percent going [на Игры-2022]but they announced a month before that there was no agreement,” he explained.
Ovechkin has been playing in the NHL since 2005. He spent all seasons in North America with Washington, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2018. The Russian takes second place in the list of the best scorers in league history. As part of the Russian national team, he won the World Cup three times and participated in the Olympic Games twice in 2006 and 2010 without winning a medal.
At the end of February 2022, most sports organizations suspended Russians and Belarusians from tournaments on the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee.
Source: Lenta
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