The key facts

  • Emelianenko said world sambo is less dependent on politics than hockey
  • On October 30, CAS overturned the suspension of the Russian hockey team
  • The IIHF council has not yet made a decision on the Russian national team

Emelianenko on sambo and hockey

Former mixed martial arts world champion Fedor Emelianenko said that sambo is less dependent on politics than hockey. His words were conveyed by a correspondent of Gazeta.Ru.

Court ruling and the IIHF position

On October 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport fully upheld the appeal of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and overturned the International Ice Hockey Federation's decision to suspend Russia. The IIHF stressed that it would urgently assess the steps and the time needed to implement the ruling and address its operational consequences. At the same time, as noted earlier, the IIHF council has not yet made a decision on the Russian hockey team — meaning that the court-ordered return to the world championship does not yet mean the team will actually take part in the tournament.

Context with the IOC

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all federations remove restrictions on Russian athletes, having earlier declared the previously issued recommendations outdated. Thus, the situation in hockey is unfolding against the backdrop of an overall movement toward lifting restrictions, but a specific decision on the national team's participation in the world championship remains open.