Ilya Kovalchuk said that the IIHF and the IOC will backfire on the removal of Russians from tournaments
Olympic champion Ilya Kovalchuk appreciated the removal of Russians from international tournaments. His words are quoted by Match TV.
Kovalchuk criticized the decisions of the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and predicted that this would come back to haunt the organizations. “What does the junior and youth national teams of Russia have to do with it? It is clear that the national team may still have something to do with the issue: this is the flagship of the country, everyone is rooting for it. Why punish young boys? They are even still minors,” he said.
Hockey teams from Russia and Belarus have been suspended from all international competitions since February 2022. According to the head of the IIHF, Luc Tardif, the admission of teams to tournaments depends entirely on the safety of the athletes and organizers.
On December 8, the IOC announced the admission of Russians and Belarusians to the 2024 Summer Olympics. They will be able to take part in the tournament as individual neutral athletes. At the same time, athletes who support a special operation in Ukraine, or who have connections with the armed forces or security agencies of Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to compete in Paris.
Source: Lenta
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