Finland's Men's Hockey Coach Accuses China of Ignoring Player Human Rights

Finnish national team coach Jukka Jalonen has accused China of ignoring the human rights of one of his players in quarantine.

Finnish National Team head coach Jukka Jalonen has accused China of ignoring one of his players' human rights in the face of the country's strict COVID-19 protocols for athletes at the 2022 Winter Olympics. 

The accusation stems from the alleged treatment that Finnish captain Marko Attila is receiving while in quarantine, with Jalonen alleging that Anttila is not being given edible food during his isolation and that the conditions are putting him under significant mental stress. 

Anttila tested positive for COVID-19 18 days ago, and, despite no longer being infectious, is being kept in one of the special quarantine hotels built to house athletes who test positive at the Games. 

"We know that he's fully healthy and ready to go," said Jalonen on Sunday. 

"And that's why we think that China, for some reason, they won't respect his human rights and that's not a great situation."

Approximately 350 athletes have reportedly tested positive upon arrival to Beijing. According to the current protocols, athletes are permitted to leave the quarantine hotels when they become asymptomatic and produce two negative PCR tests 24 hours apart. 

While Jalonen did not reveal if this is the case with Anttila, his anger towards the governing body certainly suggests that his captain is not being treated in accordance with the outlined protocols. 

As Jalonen further revealed, the IIHF is set to meet with the IOC later on Sunday to discuss Anttila's situation in the hopes of finding a solution before Finland begins its Olympic schedule versus Slovakia on Thursday.