German Government Doubts World Ice Hockey Championship Can Go Ahead if Russia Plays

The German government has cast doubt on hosting the ice hockey world championship in Germany next May if Russia's national team is allowed to compete, German broadcaster ARD reported on Friday. Latvia's national team also plays in the top division of the men's championship, so the question concerns Latvian hockey fans too.

Background

On 30 October the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which settles disputes in international sport, ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to reinstate Russia's national team in international tournaments immediately. The ruling covers next year's world championships for senior men, U-20 and U-18 teams, as well as the women's world championships.

The IIHF had formally justified Russia's suspension not by the war in Ukraine but by concerns over participants' safety. The court did not find that reasoning convincing enough. Russia had been excluded from IIHF competitions since February 2022, when it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and has missed five consecutive men's world championships.

The government's position

Following discussions with the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB), the IIHF and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), government spokesman Steffen Cornelius told a federal press conference that, because of strong opposition from other countries and from business and media partners, the tournament is practically impossible to stage from either a sporting or an economic standpoint. He stressed that the CAS ruling is unacceptable for hosting the event.

Cornelius said boycott threats from several countries, including reigning world champion Finland, show that international hockey does not accept Russia's return. Several sponsors have also said they will not sponsor the event if Russia takes part.

What next

DEB president Franz Luz had earlier suggested Germany might withdraw as host. Cornelius said the aim should be to hold the tournament as planned, but that with boycotts this would be practically impossible if Russia were allowed to play. The government therefore wants to explore, through dialogue, ways to ensure the tournament can still take place.