Belarus stripped of ice hockey world championship after crackdown on protesters

Belarus has been stripped of the right to co-host this year's ice hockey world championship due to safety concerns over political unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic there, the sport's governing body said on Monday.

The decision comes after calls by the Belarusian opposition to take the tournament away from Belarus due to a crackdown on protesters in the wake of a disputed election in August last year.