Decision to ban Russian, Belarusian athletes is not a positive outcome but a necessary one, IPC president says

Worldwide Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Andrew Parsons cautioned involving politics in sports activities after the choice to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2022 Winter Paralympic Video games in Beijing earlier this month however mentioned Saturday that the “magnitude” of the state of affairs in Ukraine known as for extra extreme motion.  

Parsons informed reporters that the choice to ban these athletes on account of Russia’s assault on Ukraine can’t be seen as a constructive final result for any concerned however added that the IPC had reached its “restrict.” 

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“Nobody may be pleased with the result. Not permitting them to compete for any cause shouldn’t be good, not constructive,” he mentioned, by way of Reuters.  “However our motion was asking us for extra. It was completely crucial that we modified our choice … We do not like when politics will get combined with sport, however we’ve our limits and we needed to take heed to our members.”

Following the Russian invasion, the IPC initially introduced that athletes from Russia, who compete beneath the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), and Belarus could be allowed to compete however not beneath their flag and would additionally not be included within the official medal desk. 

World calls to ban these athletes from worldwide competitors sparked a fury of backlash which prompted the IPC to backtrack, banning them altogether. 

“We do not need governments to affect our selections … nevertheless it was inconceivable to separate sport from the remainder of the world as a result of magnitude of the state of affairs in Europe,” he mentioned earlier than questioning how their presence might need influenced the Video games. 

Worldwide Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons attends the Wheelchair Curling medal ceremony on day eight of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics at Nationwide Aquatics Centre on March 12, 2022 in Beijing, China.
(Photograph by Zhe Ji/Getty Pictures for Worldwide Paralympic Committee)

“Possibly the outcomes right here would have been completely different (with Russian and Belarusian athletes) … however when it comes to the setting, it was one of the best choice. It was turning into risky.”

The IPC’s choice to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes got here after a number of athletes threatened to not take part in the event that they had been allowed to compete. 

Russian and Belarusian flags wave throughout a wreath laying ceremony on the Victory Monument. 
(Ramil NasibulinTASS by way of Getty Pictures)

“A number of Nationwide Paralympic Committees (NPCs), groups and athletes now threatening to not compete, jeopardizing the viability of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Video games,” the information launch learn. “Scenario within the athlete villages is escalating and guaranteeing the protection of athletes has develop into untenable.” 

A number of worldwide sports activities federations have adopted swimsuit, with some simply banning these athletes from representing their nations in competitors.