Swap the flag against the dictator

Much, perhaps even everything, in life is a question of perception. At the Ice Hockey World Championship in Latvia, Germany wins against Canada and celebrates a “historic victory”. Everyone in the media is cheering. After 25 years, the supernatural Canadians have been defeated again. Everyone forgets that they competed in Riga with a skeleton team because the NHL is still playing games. The North American Hockey League doesn't care about the title fights. And before Germany, the Kandians had already lost their first two games against Norway and the USA. And so this success of the German team, which admittedly appears very united as a team, would definitely be put into perspective, just as, in the opposite case, one has to look at Italy with a sense of proportion.

The Blue Team had to cope with 15 corona cases and is playing with a replacement squad that is selling well for their standards. Sure, there are three defeats so far against Norway, Latvia and Germany. But the Azzurri didn't go down badly against all three. This can be considered a success given the difficult circumstances. Luckily, no team will be relegated this year, so Italy can continue to play bravely in their games. Brave head of state in Riga But more than the Games themselves, the focus now is on truly bold and unprecedented action at the World Cup. Latvia's President Egil Levits has exchanged the official flag of Belarus for the flag of the Belarusian opposition. A reaction from Latvia to the hijacking of Alexander Lukashenko's plane in order to get hold of the journalist and dissident Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend, who were on the flight from Athens to Riga.

Many politicians are of course calling for Protassewisch's release, knowing full well that his words will bounce off the dictator Lukashenko's tanks. The despot will not be interested in a ban on flights over Belarus as a sanction from the EU, which this time comes together surprisingly quickly. That's why replacing the flag is more than just a symbolic act, because it shows that Europe may not be willing to continue to tolerate an arbitrary state in its midst. Levits' reaction cannot be overestimated. The man has backbone.

Of course, in this case too, sport is being exploited again, although one should not forget that Belarus was originally supposed to host this World Cup together with Latvia. The President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Renè Fasel, a Swiss, wanted to stick to the original plan despite Lukashenko's inhumane policies. He is, he openly admits, a friend of his and also a friend of Putin. He even wants to learn Russian now. Fasel is one of those sports officials who believe that their position practically gives them the status of a top politician. That they can influence governments through the institution they lead. Fasel maneuvers himself offside Fasel is not alone among his peers with this hubris. There is even a photo from January of this year that shows Fasel giving Lukashenko a heartwarming hug. He didn't look at the prisons. Fasel fought until the end for Belarus to co-host the World Cup and ultimately only bowed to the ever-increasing international pressure. “Rene, I understand you,” Lukashenko said to Fasel afterwards. That is traditional. I'm in tears.

And now, logically, Fasel is the first to protest violently against the flag swap in Riga. Of course, he doesn't want to spoil things for himself with his buddy. That is unacceptable, said Fasel. It has long been the case: he is no longer acceptable as president of his association. But, as always in life, it's all a question of personal perception. And recognizing the truth is sometimes not so easy, especially if you believe you are more than just the president of a sports association.

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Swap the flag against the dictator

The flag affair at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Riga is causing quite a stir. Columnist Sigi Heinrich takes on the matter in his Siginside section and comes to the conclusion: The ice hockey boss is no longer sustainable.

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