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Shaking hands in Minsk: Lukashenko (left) and Fasel
Photo: NIKOLAI PETROV / POOL / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
Ice hockey world association president René Fasel regrets the circumstances of his visit to the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko.
Nevertheless, Fasel is sticking to the world championship in Minsk this year.
»Imagine if we are now canceling the World Cup in Belarus: will that change anything in the country?
Certainly not «, said Fasel in an interview with the Swiss TV broadcaster» SRF News «.
Fasel traveled to Minsk on Monday to use his "good relations" with Lukashenko to discuss a way out of the dilemma surrounding the World Cup this year.
Numerous (sport) political voices had risen against the hosting of the World Cup, including from co-host Latvia.
The background is the human rights violations in the dictatorial country.
Among other things, Lukashenko had brutalized demonstrators by his security forces after his controversial re-election last summer.
The World Cup is planned from May 21 to June 6 in Riga, Latvia, and Minsk.
Under pressure from the Latvian government, European and German politicians called for Belarus to be deprived of the World Cup.
Fasel, however, admitted that this was hardly possible for financial reasons alone.
»We have a contract with the Belarusian ice hockey association.
It is our duty to host the Ice Hockey World Championship.
There would also be consequences if they were not held now, "said the 70-year-old Swiss.
Fasel's dealings with Lukashenko had triggered international criticism.
TV pictures from his visit to Minsk had documented a warm deal with Lukashenko and deep embraces between them.
"It went a bit stupid, I'm embarrassed too," said Fasel.
“I am sorry if this leads to the interpretation that I would accept the events and the repression in Belarus.
But I wanted to use this special relationship with Lukashenko to do something good.
So that the World Cup leads to a kind of reconciliation between the government and the opposition. "
Fasel did not respond to a joint photo with the head of the Belarusian ice hockey association, Dmitri Baskov.
The opposition in Belarus accuses Baskov of being involved in the case of a dead protester.
Baskow is suspended from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as is Lukashenko, and the IIHF is investigating Baskow.
In around two weeks, the World Cup will be debated again in the Council of the World Association IIHF.
The President of the German Ice Hockey Association, Franz Reindl, also belongs to the IIHF Executive Committee.
Reindl is considered to be a possible successor to Fasel as IIHF President.
Fasel has announced his retirement for reasons of age.
An ice hockey world championship had already taken place in Belarus in 2014.
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jan / dpa