Czech sports minister ruled out banning national team matches against Russia

The government's position

Czech Sports Minister Břetislav Štývar... Czech Radio reported.

Context of the hockey federation's decision

The minister's statement came after the Czech Ice Hockey Federation announced that its national teams would not play against Russia. The federation made this decision in light of a recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that allowed Russian teams to return to international competitions. Several other European hockey associations had previously made similar announcements.

Diverging positions

Thus, a situation has emerged in the Czech Republic in which the decision to boycott matches with Russia was made by the federations themselves, while the state declined to enshrine it in law. The minister in effect confirmed that the matter remains within the purview of sports organizations: the government will neither require nor forbid national teams to play against Russian teams, even if some federations have already chosen to opt out of such matches.