MINSK, 25 May (BelTA) - The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has addressed Riga City Hall over the situation with the replacement of the Belarusian state flag at the ongoing 2021 IIHF World Championship, IIHF President Rene Fasel told TASS, BelTA has learned.
“We have sent a letter to the mayor of Riga. This is unacceptable for us. We will not change the flags at the arena. We will ask to remove the World Championship and IIHF flags from the locations where the Belarusian flag was replaced in Riga,” Rene Fasel said.
As BelTA reported earlier, the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation sent an official note to the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, the organizing committee of the World Championship in Riga and the management of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation. According to head of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation Dmitry Baskov, the replacement of the Belarusian state flag in the pool of flags of countries participating in the tournament and the official symbols of the championship is nothing but an attempt to politicize the world ice hockey event in Riga and directly contradicts the sport nature of the championship.
