BERLIN, November 6. /TASS/. Because so many countries are boycotting the Russian team, Germany has deemed hosting the 2027 World Hockey Championship an unviable endeavor, and Berlin is looking for a way out of the situation, German Cabinet Spokesman Stefan Kornelius told reporters at a news briefing.
"Eight out of 16 national associations boycotted games against Russia at the 2027 World Hockey Championship," he said. "Talks between the chancellor’s office with the German Hockey Federation, the [German] Olympic Sports Confederation and the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) showed that, in light of the broad rejection, including from the IIHF’s business and media partners, Russia’s participation renders hosting the tournament virtually impossible in sports and economic terms," he added.
According to Kornelius, the German government supports the German Hockey Federation as the organizer in its search for an acceptable solution. "Our goal must be to hold tournaments as scheduled," he claimed. "Therefore, we would actually like to consider ways of holding it in Germany through talks," he explained.
For his part, when asked about the possibility of issuing visas to Russian athletes, German Deputy Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Martin Giese recalled that "visa restrictions" on Russia are in place. "There are various clubs, military clubs, in Russia, and issues primarily arise here," he said.
Earlier, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered the IIHF to allow Russian teams to participate in international competitions after an appeal by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF). Later, national hockey associations in Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Latvia said they would boycott matches against the Russian team in the wake of the decision. The Canadian Hockey Association pledged to discuss the issue later. Only the hockey federations of Slovakia and Belarus welcomed the return of Russian athletes.
The IIHF’s decision to suspend Russia from participation in international competitions has been in effect since 2022. In July, the IIHF extended the suspension to the 2026/2027 season, citing security concerns for participants in competitions.