Belarus slams being removed as co-host of ice hockey world c’ship

Belarus has criticized the “groundless” decision to strip the country of its role as co-host of this year’s ice hockey world championships.

In a statement on the Belarusian government website on Tuesday, the Organizing Committee for the tournament in Minsk voiced its regret at “the groundless decision.”

The committee called the decision a precedent for using sport competitions as an instrument “to please the interests of political demagogues.”

Belarus and Latvia were due to co-host the event from May 21 to June 6, but calls had mounted in recent weeks by members of the Belarusian opposition and European Union member states to remove Minsk as a host.

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) said on Monday that the world championship would not be held in Belarus, citing concerns about the political unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision comes while IIHF President Rene Fasel said late last month that he would do “everything possible” to ensure the tournament would be held in Belarus.

But after his meeting with President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk last week, Czech carmaker Skoda and German motor oil manufacturer Liqui Moly threatened to withdraw their sponsorship of the event.

The Belarusian organizing committee said it believed that, despite the decision, “the international sports community will be able to get out from under the influence of political and financial forces.”

The IIHF’s decision was welcomed by Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who said it was the result of lobbying by Lukashenko’s opponents.

Belarus has been experiencing unrest since the August 2020 presidential election, which Lukashenko — a hockey fan — won.

Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko’s main political opponent, rejected the official results of the vote and claimed there had been voter fraud. Western governments came out in her support, repeating the allegations of vote rigging.

The European Union (EU) announced on September 15, 2020 that it did not recognize Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus.

On October 2 last year, the bloc imposed sanctions against 40 Belarusian officials over allegations that Minsk had rigged the presidential election in Lukashenko’s favor and cracked down on political dissent afterwards.

EU foreign ministers later agreed to impose sanctions on Lukashenko himself and other senior officials.

Lukashenko has rejected allegations that his government tampered with votes, blaming Western countries for orchestrating the demonstrations and conspiring to oust his government.

Still, in an attempt to soothe the political tensions in the country, he has proposed the drafting of a new constitution less reliant on the head of state.

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