Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MINSK, Belarus (AP) - Belarus' president has ordered the organizers of the 2014 ice hockey world championship in the ex-Soviet nation to insure against losses in case of a possible boycott.
Alexander Lukashenko's decree, which was released Tuesday by his office, instructs the organizers to sign a contract with insurers to cover "possible losses in case of a cancellation, a boycott, or a change in dates of the championship."
Lukashenko's move has followed repeated calls for the International Ice Hockey Federation, which is based in Zurich, Switzerland, to move the championships elsewhere because of the Belarusian government's crackdown on dissent.
The 59-year-old Belarusian leader is an avid hockey player. He has criticized calls for boycott of the championship.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
