Russia's international hockey ban lifted, prompting backlash from IIHF, other countries: 'Incomprehensible'

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled that Russian teams can compete in next year’s world championships, overturning the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) decision to exclude them. The IIHF had banned Russia from competitions since 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, citing security concerns. However, CAS found insufficient evidence to support these concerns, leading to the ban being lifted, a decision that has been met with strong opposition from the IIHF and numerous countries.

• The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has lifted the ban on Russian ice hockey teams competing in international competitions.
• The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) had excluded Russia since 2022 due to the invasion of Ukraine.
• CAS cited a lack of sufficient evidence to support the IIHF’s security concerns.
• The decision has been met with strong criticism from the IIHF, Canada, Ukraine, Germany, Finland, Czechia, Sweden, and Austria.
• Russia’s sports minister hailed the ruling as an end to discrimination.