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Belarus' ruler Alexander Lukashenko (left) and IIHF President René Fasel were both still convinced of a World Cup in Belarus at the beginning of January
Photo:
Nikolai Petrov / dpa
The car manufacturer Skoda has threatened to withdraw as the main sponsor of the Ice Hockey World Championship if the world association IIHF allows the tournament to take place in Belarus.
The Czech company, which belongs to the VW Group, announced on Saturday.
For weeks there has been increasing pressure on the world ice hockey association to withdraw the tournament from Belarus because of the violations of human rights under ruler Alexander Lukashenko.
»We have been a proud partner of the World Cup for 28 years.
But we also respect and promote human rights, ”Skoda shared on Twitter.
In Belarus, the media reported that the Nivea Men brand had announced its withdrawal as a sponsor the day before, should the World Cup be held in Minsk.
IIHF Vice President Kalervo Kummola told the Russian state agency Tass that he was not surprised by the sponsors' attitude.
Others thought so too.
The IIHF Executive Committee wants to discuss the World Cup again on January 25th and 26th.
Association president René Fasel was recently criticized for a public hug with Lukashenko and shortly afterwards apologized for this scene.
Nevertheless, he initially stuck to the World Cup in Belarus.
But there has been "a plan B since last autumn," said Fasel most recently.
A World Cup only in Latvia, Slovakia or Denmark are options.
Lukashenko had brutally cracked down on 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.
The government of EU member Latvia had already put pressure on the IIHF and its own association last year not to work with Belarus.
Recently, numerous international politicians, including Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, had joined the party.
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