{
  "id": 18271156,
  "title": "Canada to bar Russian, Belarusian athletes competing under national symbols",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/canada-to-bar-russian-belarusian-athletes-competing-under-national",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-05T07:17:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Interfax-Ukraine",
    "slug": "interfax-ukraine",
    "url": "https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/sport/1231451.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Canada has announced plans to individually ban Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering the country if they aim to compete under their national symbols, according to a joint statement released by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Immigration, and the Secretary of State for Sport. Under subsection 22.1(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Minister of Immigration will assess and potentially prevent these individuals from entering Canada to compete under their national symbols. Additionally, Canada will impose a ban on Russian and Belarusian participation in events funded by the Canadian government that involve national symbols. However, athletes competing under a neutral status will still be allowed to participate in competitions within Canada. The government remains firmly committed to standing with Ukraine, emphasizing that as long as Russia continues its aggressive war against Ukraine, normal business practices will not resume. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) recently ruled that Russian teams could participate in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships, despite the ongoing conflict. Finland, in response, stated it would not play against Russia while the war persists. Independent hockey organizations from Finland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria have criticized the CAS decision, expressing their disapproval of allowing Russian teams to compete under the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in 2027.",
  "summary": "Canada will individually ban entry to Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials if they intend to compete under national symbols, according to a joint statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand, Minister of Immigration Lina Metlege Diab, and Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}