Belarusian Foreign Ministry Accuses Canada of Discriminating Against Athletes on Grounds of Nationality
Reform.news Editorial Team · 5 November 2026, 17:12
https://reform.news/en/belarusian-foreign-ministry-accuses-canada-of-discriminating-against-athletes-on-grounds-of-nationality/The Belarusian Foreign Ministry has described Canada’s decision to restrict the entry of Belarusian and Russian athletes seeking to compete in international events under their national flags as discriminatory. The ministry’s spokesperson, Ruslan Varankou, made the statement in response to a question from RIA Novosti, the ministry reports.
According to Varankou, a country hosting an international sporting event is obliged to ensure that its participants can enter. He described the refusal to issue visas as a violation of the Olympic principle of “sport outside politics”. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) applies to the Belarusian and Russian teams, and that Canada, as the host country, cannot ignore it.
He also drew a connection between the situation and Canada’s refusal to provide Belarus with information about Nazi war criminals implicated in the genocide of the Belarusian people who found refuge in the country.
“We expect the International Ice Hockey Federation to ensure compliance with its own regulations and the court’s decision. Winners in sport should be determined on the playing field, not at visa centres,” Varankou said.
On November 3, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the Russian national team would not take part in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, which is due to be held in Canada. On the same day, Canadian authorities also announced entry restrictions for Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials intending to compete under their national flags.
A joint statement by Canada’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, Immigration Ministry and Secretary of State for Sport said that Russia and Belarus should not be officially represented in international sport while the war against Ukraine, in which Belarus is involved, continues. Individual athletes may still be allowed to compete under a neutral status. Entry decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
On October 30, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced that CAS had authorized the return of Russian teams to five tournaments in 2027, including the men’s, women’s and World Junior Championships, as well as the men’s and women’s under-18 world championships. The federation said it intended to comply with the court’s decision but warned that its implementation would require coordination with national federations, organizers and the authorities of host countries.
The IIHF’s announcement concerning the CAS decision refers to Russian teams. Canada’s restrictions on competing under national flags apply to both Russian and Belarusian athletes.