Canada will ban Russian hockey players from entering the country to participate in the World Junior Championship. Reuters.
Ottawa will not allow Russian athletes and sportspeople into the country to participate in the world junior ice hockey championships in Alberta, the Canadian government said, effectively barring Russians from the tournament weeks before it begins.
Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs for Sport Adam Van Couberden stated that the government opposes the participation of Russia and Belarus in international sports competitions "as long as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine with the cooperation of Belarus."
"The IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship) Minister will take action to individually assess and exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entry to Canada to compete, regardless of whether they have valid visas," Van Couberden said.