Former IIHF president critical of the organization for suspension of Russia and Belarus
On Monday, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced a suspension for Russia and Belarus from all competitions at any age level through August.
Former IIHF president Rene Fasel spoke with Russian media outlet, Championat, yesterday and said that the suspension of Russia and Belarus is a "sad moment in IIHF history".
"This is a sad moment in IIHF history. Even during the Cold War, the Soviet Union played with the United States, with Canada. Even in such a tense situation as today, sport must carry the message of peace and uniting people. There were many opportunities to do this [exclude someone from the IIHF ] because there were many wars in the world, and now we are doing it. It's very sad to hear what people want to do," Fasel said.
In the interview, Fasel didn't speak out against what was happening in Ukraine, but that's likely because he's been known for his close affinity to Russian president Vladimir Putin as well as Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko. Regardless of that, it's disappointing to see him stay quiet on the topic.
Currently, Fasel is an honorary president of the IIHF and is a member of the IIHF Hall of Fame. While he did do a lot to grow the game during his tenure, it's safe to say that international hockey is better off without him at the helm.
Source: Championat
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