{"id":210439,"date":"2026-11-04T14:35:28","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T11:35:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/210439\/"},"modified":"2026-11-04T14:35:30","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T11:35:30","slug":"canada-to-bar-belarusian-russian-ice-hockey-players-from-junior-tournament","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/210439\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada to bar Belarusian, Russian ice hockey players from junior tournament"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

November 4, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Ice hockey players from Russia or Belarus will not be allowed to take part in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships to be held in Canada between 26 December and 5 January, Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters on Tuesday, according to Reuters<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“While Russia and Belarus are supporting this illegal, unjustified, horrific war in Ukraine, as long as that’s going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada,” Carney said. “So, if you’re asking \u2060specifically about the world juniors, the Russians will not be there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement published earlier on Tuesday, the Canadian government said that Canada would continue to oppose the participation of athletes representing Russia and Belarus under their national flags, symbols, colors or anthems in international sporting competitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCanada\u2019s position has not changed because Russia\u2019s actions have not changed: as long as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine with Belarus\u2019s complicity, neither Russia nor Belarus should be formally represented in international sport,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship will exercise her authorities to individually assess and prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete under their national symbols, it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement stressed that the measure is not directed at the Russian and Belarusian people but intended to prevent the governments of Russia and Belarus from \u201cusing international sporting events hosted in Canada as platforms for state representation, political legitimacy and propaganda.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual athletes competing in a neutral capacity will continue to be able to participate in international sport events hosted by Canada, the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia had been suspended from competing in International Ice Hockey Federation events since the country invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but last week the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the ban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In late July, media reported that the International Ice Hockey Federation had not allowed Belarus\u2019 national team to participate in the 2027 Men\u2019s and Junior World Championships citing safety and security concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Russia launched a full-scale war on Ukraine with the help of authorities in Minsk in February 2022, the International Olympic Committee urged sports federations to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from all competitions. In March 2023, it recommended that some of them could be allowed as neutral athletes under certain conditions, such as not supporting the war. In May 2026, the Committee said that it no longer recommended any restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many sports bodies have since lifted their restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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