Ice Hockey World Championships sponsor threatens to pull out over Russia

Workwear company Strauss has announced it will withdraw its sponsorship of next year's Ice Hockey World Championships if Russia is allowed to take part. The German firm claims it will stop branding at the event and could even pull its overall support if the International Ice Hockey Federation lifts the ban on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Strauss' CEO, Henning Strauss, expressed the company's deep ties to the Ice Hockey World Championship, stating they value their partnership. However, if Russia's national team competes in the 2027 World Championship in Germany as a result of the Court of Arbitration for Sport's recent ruling, Strauss will forgo all logo exposure and may withdraw as a sponsor.

Strauss isn't alone in this stance; it's also a sponsor of European football's governing body, UEFA, and recently became a refereeing partner for the Champions League. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Russia can participate in both the men's and women's World Championships and junior events due to insufficient evidence supporting safety and security concerns.

Russia has been banned from sport since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but some sports, such as swimming, diving, table tennis, climbing, judo, and taekwondo, have welcomed it back. Russia remains banned from European and world football, though FIFA president Gianni Infantino has hinted at possibly lifting the ban and allowing a Russian team to compete in last month's Under-15 World Cup.