Belarus hockey leader resigns over ban for political threats

MINSK, Belarus (AP) — The top ice hockey official in Belarus has stepped down after he was banned for five years over evidence he threatened and discriminated against players for their political beliefs. The Belarus hockey federation had initially signaled Dmitri Baskov could stay on as president in defiance of Wednesday’s ban. But Baskov has told state TV he’s stepping aside to avoid further sanctions against the federation. Belarus has been in turmoil for more than a year since President Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected in a vote widely seen as rigged and which led to a violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests.