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Finnish City May Cancel 2028 World Junior Hockey Championship Over Potential Russian Return
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The Finnish city of Turku has announced it may refuse to co-host the 2028 IIHF World Junior Championship if the Russian national team is allowed to compete.
The international tournament is scheduled to take place across two Finnish cities, Turku and Tampere. However, municipal officials in Turku confirmed the venue will not host any matches involving Russian competitors.
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City leadership hopes the International Ice Hockey Federation and the Finnish government will establish a framework preventing Russian participation.
City officials noted that allowing the national team to compete while Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues directly contradicts the core values and ethical standards of the municipality.
The local government stated it will decline the economic and cultural benefits of hosting the event if Russian entry cannot be prevented.
“Agreeing to host the World Championship in a situation where the Russian national team participates contradicts the values of the city of Turku. If it cannot be guaranteed that Russia will not participate in the competition, Turku will refuse the role of host,” said Turku Mayor Piia Elo.
“The decision on a possible refusal is based on the city's values and ethical principles of activity. We act in accordance with our values even when it means giving up significant events and the opportunities they provide. As long as Russia leads an aggressive war in Ukraine, we cannot allow the Russian team to play in Turku.”
Similar concerns have been expressed across the international sporting community, with officials in neighboring nations arguing that sports platforms should not serve as promotional tools for aggressive states.
The incident follows a similar decision in the Netherlands on October 14, 2026, where authorities denied visas to three Russian gymnasts, including two Olympic champions, preventing them from competing at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam. Two of the athletes had previously publicly supported Vladimir Putin and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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