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sports Diahuebs 9 september 2021

Belarus hockey official banned 5 years for political abuse

(AP) — The top ice hock- “an avid supporter” of Lu- sign of complying with the
ey official in Belarus was kashenko, who was banned IIHF verdict, which he can
banned for five years on from attending future Olym- challenge in an appeal to
Wednesday for politically pic Games by the IOC after the Court of Arbitration for
motivated threats against allegations that athletes who Sport.
players and supporting supported protests were tar-
the country’s authoritar- geted for reprisals. The Belarus Hockey Federa-
ian president. tion said Baskov would not
The former Soviet repub- step down and said the ruling
The International Ice Hock- lic’s treatment of athletes was the result of “constantly
ey Federation also investigat- was highlighted in Tokyo increasing pressure of politi-
ed Dmitri Baskov’s alleged last month when sprinter cal forces on the IIHF.” governing body said.
role in an incident that led to Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was It said “although it cannot
the killing of an activist last taken to an airport by two It argued Baskov had merely be excluded that Baskov was IIHF cited its rules requiring
year but could not find any team officials after criticiz- expressed his “personal civic present at the event, it did not political neutrality, though
evidence of “active involve- ing coaches in a social media opinion” on issues. find evidence for an active in- long-time president René
ment,” the governing body post. volvement of Baskov in the Fasel visited Lukashenko in
said. Evidence against Baskov was attack against Bondarenka.” January while trying to re-
Tsimanouskaya refused to provided by the Belarusian tain Belarus as co-host of the
Baskov was found to have board a flight to Belarus fear- Sports Solidarity Foundation ADVERTISEMENT men’s world championships
“abused his position as a rep- ing for her safety and was (BSSF) and an independent this year.
resentative of ice hockey in given a humanitarian visa to investigations firm, the IIHF The IIHF said its disciplinary
order to support the current stay in Poland. said. panel confirmed Baskov “has A backlash from tournament
President of Belarus, Alexan- close personal ties to Presi- sponsors led the IIHF to re-
der Lukashenko,” the IIHF Baskov’s ban from national The governing body said it dent Lukashenko as well as move Belarus and the tour-
said in a statement. and world hockey includes had investigated reports that hockey connections with two nament went ahead in Latvia
the next two Winter Games, Baskov was involved in the of the president’s sons.” alone.
Belarus has been in turmoil next February in Beijing lethal attack of of Roman
for more than a year since and the 2026 Milan-Cortina Bondarenko, a Belarusian cit- “The (panel) cited sufficient Belarus has a candidate,
Lukashenko was re-elect- Olympics in Italy. He was izen who died of his injuries evidence that Baskov has Sergej Gontcharov, in the
ed in a vote widely seen as also barred from the Tokyo after he was allegedly seized tried to directly influence five-man contest to replace
rigged and which led to a Olympics by the IOC be- and beaten by security forces others to support the Belarus Fasel at a Sept. 25 election
violent crackdown on pro- cause of the allegations he at an incident last November government and has threat- meeting in St. Petersburg,
democracy protests. faced. where police were removing ened and discriminated Be- Russia. Fasel is stepping
red and white ribbons hung larusian athletes because of down after 27 years.
The IIHF said Baskov was However, Baskov shows no by opposition supporters. their political opinion,” the

Cruz, 41, oldest to hit 3O HRs in year, Rays bop Bosox 12-7

(AP) — Nelson Cruz went 0 for 4 with a walk, ex- continued to get those big look at it and see what really
homered twice and, at 41 tending his on-base streak to hits and use the Fenway wall happened and we’ll be ready Zunino hit a two-run triple
years old, became the old- 37 games and passing Mickey to our advantage,” Rays man- for the next one.” in the second and solo hom-
est player in major league Mantle (1951-52) for the lon- ager Kevin Cash said. ers in the third and fifth.
history to hit 30 home gest by an AL player under 21 Cruz hit a two-run homer
runs in a season, powering years old. The 20-year-old Tampa Bay increased its in the third inning and a Drew Rasmussen (2-1) got
the Tampa Bay Rays past Franco now trails only Frank AL East lead to 9 1/2 games solo drive in the fifth, giv- the win, going five innings,
the Boston Red Sox 12-7 Robinson, who reached in 43 over New York. The Red ing him 447 in his career and allowing one run on six hits
Tuesday night. straight in 1956. Sox again missed a chance to his eighth 30-homer season. with no walks and two strike-
move ahead of the Yankees He passed David Ortiz (38 in outs.
Mike Zunino also homered A day after the Rays needed for the top AL wild-card spot. 2016) and Darrell Evans (34
twice and Jordan Luplow to rally from a six-run deficit in 1987), who were both 40 Eduardo Rodriguez (11-
connected for the team with to outlast Boston 11-10 in 10 “As a group (the Rays) did a when they hit the mark. 8) lasted just 3 2/3 innings,
the best record in the Ameri- innings, they coasted to an good job covering the bot- matching season highs with
can League and the highest- 11-1 lead and won their sev- tom part of the zone,” Red “That’s definitely a privilege. six runs and two home runs
scoring club in the majors. enth straight road game. Sox manager Alex Cora said. David Ortiz means so much allowed.
“Zunino the homer and Nel- to baseball, also he’s Domini-
Rays rookie Wander Franco “Scored a lot of runs and son did, too. So, we’ll take a can,” said Cruz, who’s also “It’s kind of hard because
from the Dominican Repub- this is the time that we really
lic. “So, it’s an honor to be by need to step it up as a starting
his side.” pitcher, go out there and win
every game,” Rodriguez said.
Cruz also doubled and sin- “It feels really hard to lose the
gled, driving in four runs and game today, especially a game
scoring three. Acquired from that I started.”
Minnesota in late July, he is
batting .375 with four hom- Michael Feliz relieved Rodri-
ers in September, scoring 11 guez, giving up the second
runs with 10 RBIs. homers to both Zunino and
Cruz.
Boston’s Bobby Dalbec, who
entered the game as a defen- Down 12-1, Dalbec and the
sive replacement at third base Red Sox scored four times in
in the eighth inning, hit a pair the eighth and twice more in
of two-run homers. Danny the ninth.
Santana also homered for the
Red Sox.