IPC makes Paralympics U-turn as Russia, Belarus face new sanctions

BEIJING: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) bowed to pressure and made a U-turn on its decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Winter Games while Formula One and UEFA imposed new sanctions on Thursday.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to sanctions across global sport, and Belarus, a key staging area for the full-scale invasion, has also been punished.

The Winter Paralympics begin on Friday and 71 Russians and 12 Belarusians will not be allowed to participate following threats of boycott from other nations and escalating tension in the athletes' villages in Beijing.

"You are victims of your governments' actions," IPC president Andrew Parsons told the affected athletes.

"If Russian and Belarusian athletes stayed in Beijing, nations were likely to withdraw and a viable Games would not have been possible."

While several nations welcomed the decision, Russia labelled it a "disgrace" and is set to file a lawsuit for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to consider before Friday's opening ceremony.

The Russian Football Union (RFU) is also appealing against the decisions by FIFA and UEFA to bar its teams from international competitions.

The RFU is looking to expedite the process in the hope the punishment is either overturned or suspended so the national team can play in the men's World Cup qualifying playoffs this month.

Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic, who are in the same qualifying path, had all ruled out playing against Russia.

UEFA also announced that Belarusian clubs and the national team must play their home matches in UEFA competitions at neutral venues with no spectators allowed.

Formula One cancelled the 2022 Russian Grand Prix last week and the sport's commercial rights holder announced on Thursday that the country will not have a race in the future after terminating its contract with the promoter.

NEW TRACK

The Grand Prix, which joined the F1 calendar in 2014 and had a contract until 2025, was set to move to a new track outside St Petersburg next year from its current Sochi Olympic park venue.

Chelsea owner Russian Abramovich's decision to sell the club he bought in 2003 was described as a "turning point" by British sports and culture minister Nadine Dorries in parliament as the government looked to target Russian oligarchs with sanctions.

"In football ... we have tolerated the investment of Russian kleptocrats for far too long," she said during a debate on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, adding the government would bring forward new tests on potential club owners.

As civilian casualties and injuries continue to rise in Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) urged Ukraine's Olympic Committee president Sergey Bubka to travel to Lausanne immediately and coordinate humanitarian assistance.

"Mr Bubka will lead on the allocation and distribution of the solidarity fund towards the Ukrainian Olympic community and sports movement," the IOC said.

"To facilitate this task we will begin collecting information on the whereabouts of these members of the Ukrainian Olympic community as well as ongoing initiatives and support."

Former Ukraine soccer international and manager Andriy Shevchenko also called for more aid in support of the victims.

"Football doesn't exist for me any more. I don't think about it. It's not the time for that," the former captain said.

"All my concentration, when I wake up, I think about how I can help my country, what I can do."