Such a message was announced by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). It released the lists of ice hockey and curling teams for the Universiade to be held in Changchun in January.
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The list of male and female ice hockey participants also includes a team made up of Russians, who will participate in the tournament with the status of NSAs, or “neutral student athletes,” and will not be able to use the name, flag, and other symbols of Russia.
Since 2022, when Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, teams from the aggressor country have been banned from participating in competitions organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), including the Olympic tournament and world championships. However, the Universiade is organized by FISU, which has opened the doors to representatives of the country continuing the brutal war in Ukraine.
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The news about allowing Russians to compete has already received praise in that country, where discussions have begun about who should coach the NSA teams.
Despite this permission, the doors to most IIHF tournaments will remain closed to Russians: they will not be able to compete in next year’s men’s world championship, as well as youth tournaments. However, there remains a possibility that the Russian national team will be able to compete in the women’s world championship – this will be decided in November this year.
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