Deputy Svishchev: Sweden does not want Russia to be admitted to tournaments because of competition
Sweden’s desire to continue to exclude Russia from international competitions is related to competition, says Dmitry Svishchev, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports. In a conversation with Lenta.ru, he spoke about the corresponding statement by the chairman of the country’s Hockey Federation, Anders Larsson.
“This is a strange statement from a sports functionary and it sounds strange. It is known that Russian hockey is considered one of the main competitors at world championships. It’s surprising to hear,” the deputy said.
Instead of defeating Russia in sports stadiums, the Swede for some reason declares that Russian athletes should simply be prevented from entering. It sounds strange and it seems like eliminating competitors. I don’t find any other texture, I don’t understand how all this can be explained
Chairman of the Swedish Hockey Federation Anders Larsson responded to the words of the former President of the International Hockey Federation Rene Fasel, who said that Stockholm is putting pressure on the organization regarding the removal of the Russian team from international competitions.
“We are absolutely clear that Russia should be left excluded from participating in international competitions. Sweden has a pretty good position in international hockey. We are simply a strong player in this world. He probably wanted to make fun of us a little,” said the Swedish sports official.
In February 2022, the International Ice Hockey Federation suspended Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions. In 2023 and 2024, restrictions were extended until the end of the season.
Source: Lenta
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