Belarus hockey official banned 5 years for political abuse

By GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer

GENEVA (AP) — The top ice hockey official in Belarus has been banned for five years for politically motivated discrimination against players and supporting the country’s authoritarian president. Dmitri Baskov’s alleged involvement in the killing of an activist last year was also investigated. The International Ice Hockey Federation also investigated Dmitri Baskov’s alleged role in an incident that led to the killing of an activist last year but said it could not find any evidence of “active involvement.” The panel ruled Baskov “abused his position as a representative of ice hockey” to support president Alexander Lukashenko. Belarus has been in turmoil for more than a year since Lukashenko was re-elected in a vote widely seen as rigged.