Skoda too will drop out of sponsorship agreement if Belarus permitted to host Ice Hockey WC

  • 2021-01-17
  • LETA/TBT Staff

RIGA - In the event that Belarus is one of the host countries of the 2021 Ice Hockey World Championships, Czech auto maker Skoda, which has been the general sponsor of the tournament for 28 years, will not drop out of its sponsorship agreement, the company said on Saturday.

''We've been a proud partner to the @IIHFHockey World Championship for 28 years. But we also respect & promote all human rights. Therefore, #SKODA will withdraw from sponsoring the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship if #Belarus is confirmed to be co-hosting the event,'' the company said in a statement today.

As reported, German company Nivea will not sponsor this year's Ice Hockey World Championships if it will take place in the Belarusian capital Minsk, the company announced on its Instagram account on Friday.

Minsk and Riga are due to host the 2021 World Championships this year, but the Latvian government does not want to hold a tournament with Belarus because its self-proclaimed President Alexander Lukashenko's regime is cracking down on peaceful protesters.

"Nivea Men stand for dignity, community and opposition to all forms of discrimination and violence," the German company stated.

"We have decided that Nivea Men will not sponsor the 2021 Ice Hockey World Championship if it is confirmed that it will be held in Belarus. We have already informed the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) of our decision and will continue to follow the current negotiations closely," the company points out.