Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has reportedly announced that the Russian youth ice hockey team will be strictly barred from participating in the upcoming World Junior Championship scheduled to take place in Alberta. According to his statements, athletes from Russia and Belarus allegedly remain completely banned from competing in any athletic events hosted within Canada amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Russian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov has purportedly criticized the measures as regrettable, claiming that Ottawa is deliberately dragging politics into youth sports, a sphere that should supposedly foster unity. The diplomat further alleged that the Canadian side is attempting to carefully eliminate strong competitors even before the opening puck drop.

This development unfolds against a backdrop of persistent international friction regarding the status of Russian athletes. Although the Court of Arbitration for Sport previously issued rulings concerning international hockey bodies, numerous European nations have strongly opposed the inclusion of Russian teams, threatening various forms of boycotts or refusing to face Russian players on the ice.

Source: www.gazeta.uz