Sunday April 25, 2021
“Unfair”, “Scandalous”, “Shock”
Anger and serious allegations after the World Cup was canceled
Ice hockey players around the world are stunned because of the unequal treatment: After the cancellation of the Women’s World Cup in Canada, the German captain Julia Zorn also raises serious allegations against the world association. The German team ends the World Cup exactly one day before departure.
At the U20 World Cup, the German ice hockey juniors played their way into the quarter-finals around the celebrated young star Tim Stützle in Edmonton, Canada. The U18 championships are just beginning in the USA, and the men in Latvia will be crowning their world champions at the end of May. Despite the pandemic, all of these tournaments have taken place and are still taking place. And the women? They should actually play their World Cup in Canada from May 6th, but are not allowed to.
Last week, the province of Nova Scotia canceled the women’s World Cup in the face of tightened corona measures. Many players are stunned, they suspect unequal treatment. DEB captain Julia Zorn vented her anger in a statement on Twitter: “This is just unfair. We are still sad, disappointed and frustrated,” she said: “Our season is over in the most shocking and unexpected way in the blink of an eye . “
The world association IIHF was helpless in an initial reaction. President Rene Fasel wrote in an open letter to the “women’s ice hockey family”: “As both the IIHF and the Canadian Federation had received assurance a few days before the cancellation that the event would take place, this news came completely unexpected. ” Providing a replacement location for a tournament with ten nations was not possible in view of the costs and logistics. The IIHF “does not agree with the short-term cancellation because we have done everything necessary to install the Covid-19 security measures,” wrote Fasel.
Cancellation one day before departure
But there was also sharp criticism from Switzerland. “This cancellation is totally unacceptable and devastating,” wrote world-class striker Alina Müller on Instagram: “It would be a shame to do this to the best players in men’s hockey who earn a lot of money and don’t need other jobs. But it is absolutely scandalous to do this to the best players and take away the best platform for them to develop women’s hockey. “
Zorn, Müller and Co. feel that they are treated unequally by the world association. US star Hilary Knight spoke on Twitter of a “further reminder that women’s ice hockey is still treated as a secondary thought.” Allegations that will weigh heavily in 2021, but for DEB sports director Christian Künast ineffectual, even if he can understand the frustration of the players after the second rejection in a row.
“The world association can not help it,” he told the SID. The cancellation was due to the situation in Canada: “If the organizer cancels the tournament one day before departure, there is unfortunately no substitute.” Künast is now hoping for a “worthy replacement event” and wants to look for an exchange with the disappointed players in the coming week. The World Cup was postponed for the first time in April 2020. Fasel assured that the tournament should be rescheduled “as early as possible in summer”. For Künast, however, another tournament is more important anyway: “Despite all the disappointment about the cancellation: The Olympic qualification in Füssen in November is our top event,” he said.
The DEB team was caught off guard by the cancellation the day before departure. Fasel admitted that he had only briefed some teams on short notice, but saw something positive in this: He was happy that he had avoided unsuccessful flights. For Zorn, Müller, Knight and many other players that should be very little consolation.
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