Officials of the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) have made it clear that the Russian national hockey team is not expected at any international competitions before the end of the SVO, but we can play with the Belarusians, said the president of the Russian Hockey Federation (RHF). told . Vladislav Tretiak .
At the end of March, the IIHF extended the suspension of Russia and Belarus from international tournaments for the 2023/24 season.
— You appealed to the president of the IIHF, Luc Tardif, for the International Hockey Federation to allow our young athletes under the age of 17 to participate in international tournaments. The same situation happened in football. But you were refused?
“This is not the first time we have made such attempts. But you see, in football they only demonstrated such intention and then abandoned it.
And we wanted to check again how the IIHF would react to this. We were turned away, and that was to be expected. The excuses are the same: this is done for the safety of our players.
— Is it possible to say that until the end of the SVO, there is no point in making any attempts?
“My opinion, and this is what they are making us understand, is that as long as the special operation continues, we will not be able to play in the world championships or other international competitions.” But we can continue to play with the Belarusians.
— They don’t let children in too?
– Yes, and they refer to security.
— The participation of Russian athletes in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris is now suspended. And at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan, won’t we see our hockey players there either?
– It’s difficult to speak now. You can see how the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reacted to the fact that the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) accepted our new and old lands into its family. It’s hard to say what will happen next. We will monitor, new events are happening every day,” Tretyak told .
Source : MatchTV
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