NHL great Dominik Hasek takes MASSIVE swipe at Russian and Belarusian athletes demanding Olympic suspension amid ongoing war
NHL great Dominik Hasek has demanded that Russian and Belarusian athletes should condemn Russia for the ongoing global conflict or be prepared to miss out the 2024 Paris Games.
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Dominik Hasik (Pic Credit: NBC Sports)
In February 2022, the world was left in shock when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an invasion of Ukraine. The European heavyweight country has seen several political and international sanctions being placed on it. Russia also suffered bans regarding sports. The topic of the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes has since then risen. NHL great, Dominik Hasek now demands that these athletes openly condemn their country for the war or miss out on the Paris Games 2024.
The Olympics is one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world. Several big names have trained for decades to get a shot at the tournament. While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has allowed these athletes to participate on conditional terms, Hasek believes they either condemn the country or be completely banned from appearing at the iconic event.
Speaking to the Washington Post, Hasek went off in fury at these athletes. “Everybody knows where those athletes are from. They would represent the aggressive, imperialistic war and crimes and killings linked to it,” he said. He labeled this move as giving Russia heavy artillery for the ongoing war.
Dominik Hasek believes presence of Russian athletes at Paris Olympics will portray negative image
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, several athletes from around the world condemned the Russian leader. The international Athletics body soon placed a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes from sporting events. This was done as a means of punishment and to sway the 70-year-old to change his decision.
By the end of March, the IOC came out with a plan. The committee announced that athletes who were willing to compete at the games will have to follow certain guidelines. One of the main points was that these athletes will compete as “neutral” athletes and will have no allegiances to their countries.
Hasek though is not fond of the current conditions. He claims that the whole democratic world will have to come together to stop these athletes from being involved under the current rules. Hasek believes that their presence would be “huge promotion of the Russian war.”
Talking about Hasek, he is regarded by many as one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of the game. Nicknamed “The Dominator”, Hasek enjoyed a stellar 31-year career. During his time in the NHL, he won the Stanley Cup twice both with the Detroit Red Wings. His greatest achievement was perhaps the gold medal won with his national team Czech in 1998.
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