The key facts

  • The Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF) is not calling for a boycott of matches against the Russian national ice hockey team
  • On October 30, CAS fully upheld the FHR's appeal and overturned the IIHF's decision to suspend Russia
  • The IIHF stated that it would assess the steps needed to implement the CAS decision

Denmark's position

Denmark does not intend to boycott matches against the Russian national ice hockey team. This was stated by the chairman of the National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF), Hans Natorp, who was quoted by the Danish outlet DR Sporten. “We do not want to use Danish athletes as an instrument in a political struggle by calling on them not to take part. That is why DIF is not calling for a boycott,” Natorp said.

The CAS decision and the IIHF's reaction

The Danish side's statement came after the Court of Arbitration for Sport fully upheld the appeal of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation on October 30 and overturned the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) decision to suspend Russia. The IIHF stressed that it would urgently assess the steps and the time needed to implement the decision and address its operational consequences. Earlier, according to Gazeta.Ru, the IIHF refused to answer a question about a possible boycott by countries over Russia's admission.

Context

The CAS decision fits into a broader dynamic: on July 7, the International Olympic Committee temporarily lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and recommended that all federations remove restrictions on Russian athletes, declaring the previously issued recommendations no longer relevant. DIF's position shows that national federations still determine their own attitude to matches against Russia: the arbitration court lifted the formal ban, but the question of individual countries' participation remains at their discretion.