Czechia will not issue visas to Russian female hockey players before the World Championship in Ostrava

As Radio Liberty writes, Czech Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar said at a government meeting that the Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision allowing Russian hockey players to take part in international competitions does not oblige Czechia to allow them entry. He reminded that a government decree already prohibits issuing short-term visas to Russian citizens for stays in the country.

In January 2027, the Under-18 Girls' World Ice Hockey Championship is scheduled to take place in Ostrava, Czechia. Metnar said: “So nothing is changing for me at the moment. For me, for us, the arbitral tribunal's decision in Switzerland is not binding”.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said that until the war against Ukraine ends, the decision to bar Russians should not change. Czech President Petr Pavel said that Russia's “maximum isolation” must be maintained so that its authorities understand: there is no other path than diplomatic negotiations to end the war. Last week, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to admit Russian national teams to competitions in the 2026/27 season, and the federation expressed disappointment and disagreement, but promised to comply with the decision.

Sources

• Radio Liberty