Ice Hockey World Cup Organizing Committee in Paris, president of the French Ice Hockey Federation and the President of the International Ice Hockey Federation have officially apologized to Belarusian athletes.
The issue in question is an incident with the national hockey team in Paris. Sports Minister of Sport Alyaksandr Shamko has called it prejudice, or even conspiracy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed an official protest and summoned the French Ambassador to Belarus Didier Canesse.
The incident occurred after the arrival of the train with hockey players and coaching staff to Paris, where the Ice Hockey World Championship is supposed to start. At the “Montparnasse” railway station train passengers were released, but the police conducted a thorough inspection of the baggage of the chief coach of Belarusian national team Dave Lewis, his assistant Craig Woodcraft and Aleg Antonenka. Forward Yahor Sharanhovich and Andrei Kastitsyn were subjected to the same procedure. After the police found nothing, they released everyone. It happened after about 20 minutes.
Vital Babin, Belsat
