Andrei Ankudinov (R) of Ugra vies for the ball during the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) match against Dynamo Moscow in Moscow, Russia, on Nov. 23, 2017. Dynamo Moscow won 2-0. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn)

MINSK, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation has supported the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Council's statement concerning the Russia's participation in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

The Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation expressed the support of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in its position on the participation of the Russian team in the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, the press service of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation said on Monday.

Although the Belarusian ice hockey team can replace the Russian team in the 2018 Winter Games theoretically, Belarus is convinced that the Russian national team fully deserves the right to be in South Korea, the statement said.

The Belarusian side believes that all clean athletes should be given the opportunity to take part in the competitions.

The International Olympic Committee will decide on the status of Russian athletes in the 2018 winter Games at its Executive Board meeting on Dec. 5-7.