Czech politicians condemn ruling allowing Russia back into world hockey

Czech opposition politicians have condemned a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling allowing Russian teams to return immediately to international ice hockey championships, arguing that Russia’s continuing war against Ukraine makes its participation unacceptable.

The International Ice Hockey Federation excluded Russia from its competitions in February 2022 following the invasion. It most recently extended the exclusion in January, citing safety concerns. Russia appealed, and an arbitration hearing took place last week.

The IIHF said it disagreed with the ruling but would respect it, ČTK reported. The decision opens the way for Russia to return at the next men’s world championship, which Germany will host in May.

ODS leader Martin Kupka described the decision as a “slap in the face” to athletes who had lost their careers, homes or lives because of Russian aggression.

Writing on X, he urged the Czech Ice Hockey Association to speak out against the ruling. Russia’s national team should have no place on the ice while President Vladimir Putin continues attacking Ukraine, he said.

STAN parliamentary leader Michaela Šebelová similarly called on Czech sports federations to work with international partners to maintain Russia’s exclusion.

“Russia is a military aggressor that kills civilians. It has no place at sporting championships,” she told ČTK.

Former Prime Minister Petr Fiala called the ruling a scandal and a moral failure. In a statement on X, he argued that an aggressor should not be rewarded while continuing its aggression.

KDU-ČSL parliamentary leader Marian Jurečka went further, saying he expected national teams to refuse to compete alongside Russia.

“If any values and principles still apply, Russia will be alone at that hockey championship,” he wrote.

Pirate Party leader Zdeněk Hřib argued that elite Russian sport could not be separated from the country’s political leadership.

Reaching the highest levels of a sporting career in Russia generally requires the support and approval of the authorities, he said. Russian athletes should therefore remain outside international competitions while Russian forces continue killing Ukrainian civilians and athletes, he argued.

STAN European Parliament member Danuše Nerudová also accused Russia of using sport for propaganda, pointing to hockey star Alexander Ovechkin’s public association with Putin.

TOP 09 deputy leader Marek Ženíšek called Russia’s return a disgrace, while ODS lawmaker and former ski jumper Jakub Janda sharply criticized the arbitration court.

The reactions underline continuing Czech political opposition to Russia’s sporting reintegration. The immediate question for hockey authorities is how Russia’s return will be implemented following the ruling, and how other national federations will respond.