On Friday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced that Russia will be allowed to compete in the upcoming Ice Hockey World Championships, including the men's championship in Germany next spring.
The announcement has sparked strong reactions.
Now AJ has decided to remove its logos from all visible locations at the upcoming men's World Championship. This was reported by TV4.
The Swedish furniture company has sponsored the men's World Championship since 1989.
"Sad decision"
It is a very sad decision, but we unanimously agree that it is the right one, says CEO Enock Johansson.
The decision means, among other things, that AJ's logos will disappear from the referees' clothing and the rinks during the World Championship.
What we can do to take a stand is simply remove our brand. We think it is important to do so, says Johansson.
Betting company considers boycott
Czech betting company Tipsport, the main sponsor of the men's junior world championship, is also threatening a boycott if Russia takes part.
"Tipsport's position since the beginning of the Russian aggression has been unequivocal: we do not accept bets on the KHL or any other Russian or Belarusian competitions, and we definitely have no intention of allowing bets on the Russian national team," a spokesperson for the company told Czech news site iDNES.cz.
"Similarly, we cannot imagine our advertising appearing in connection with matches in which Russia is participating in the world championships, either at the rink or in television broadcasts."
The world championships will be held in Canada at the end of the year and are the first tournament in which Russia will be allowed to compete, according to CAS's decision.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has banned Russian national teams from the championships since 2022, following the invasion of Ukraine, and on Friday expressed its disappointment with CAS's decision.
"The IIHF disagrees with the decision and maintains that our decision was necessary to protect the safety of all participants in the tournaments," the federation wrote.
What do you think?