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Sunday DeadlineSet For EntriesMOSCOW (AP) — The Russians officially pulled out of the world amateur ice hockey championships Thursday night in a move expected to result in a Communist boycott of the competition scheduled for Colorado Spripgs, Colo., March 7-18.The tournament will go on.i —-however, with or without the| Eighteen nations originally!Communist nation teams, olfi-ihad entered the tournament.cials said..The Soviet Ice Hockey Feder-ation announced the decision to withdraw in a statement published by Tass, the official news agency.This decision was taken in connection with the disgraceful act of political discrimination against the German Democratic Republic (East German y),” said Vassili Nepsktnikov, head of the Soviet hockey federation.The Allied travel bureau in West Berlin has refused to grant the necessary travel permits to the East Germans. This was in reprisal for the erection of the wall in Berlin by the Communists.DEADLINE SUNDAYIn Montreal, Robert LeBel, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, said the four countries that have not confirmed their entries have until Sunday to do so. The four are Russia, Czechoslovakia, East Germany and Romania.After that,” LeBel said, we have to presume they are not coming and will re-arrange the schedule accordingly. Those teams will be missed, there’s no getting around that. But we’ll still have a strong tournament.”In New York, Tom Lockhart, president of the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States, said, “We’re sorry the Russians have withdrawn. But the tournament will be held in Colorado Springs and It will be for the world and European championships.”The Russians, third in last year’s tournament in Switzerland, were expected to make a strong bid for this year’s title.Nepsktnikov also attacked LeBel for refusing to move the championships to another site after the East Germans were prevented from travelling to the United States.To this LeBel said the IIHF sympathizes with the plight of the East Germans and has protested to the Allied travel bureau without getting any satisfactory response.”LeBel said if the Russians believe in the international cooperation of athletes let them come and play hockey as they have been asked to.”You can’t move a world Iiockey tournament on s-hort notice,” the Canadian added. It’s not as simple as just getting up and moving to another chair in your living room. Anyway, there’s no reason to move the tournament.”NEW YORK (AP) — North American hockey officials had their fingers crossed today with the hope Russia would reverse its decision not to compete in the world amateur championships in Colorado Springs, Colo., March 7-18.Thayer Tutt of Colorado Springs, chairman of the tournament’s organizing committee, said I still think there’s a chance they will come.We’re going to try and get them to reconsider. We’re doing everything possible.”ItE1
Newspaper Details
Medicine Hat News
Medicine Hat, Alberta, CA
Fri, Feb 16, 1962
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Jason P.
USA 03 Jul 2018
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