Ninety Russian athletes to perform at Paris Paralympics - sports minister

MOSCOW. Aug 28 (Interfax) - Ninety Russian athletes will take part in the Paralympic Summer Games in Paris in neutral status, they will compete for medals in 156 events of the Games' program, Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev said.

"Ninety Russian athletes (including two leading athletes) will take part in the 17th Paralympic Summer Games, which kick off in Paris today. They will compete in athletics, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo and triathlon for medals in 156 events," Degtyarev said on his Telegram channel.

There are 44 champions and medalists of the Paralympic Games, and 50 honored Russian masters of sports among the Russian participants, he said.

"We will follow the performances of our athletes and cheer for them! I wish everyone good luck, resilience and bright victories!" Degtyarev added.

The Russian Paralympic Committee earlier said that two Russian athletes who were supposed to compete at the Paralympic Games in neutral status were denied visas, the Russian committee reapplied to the international committee for assistance in obtaining visas.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) told Interfax earlier that it had agreed on the participation of 98 neutral athletes in the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, 90 of them from Russia and eight from Belarus.

The Paris Paralympics are taking place from August 28 to September 8.