Russia, Belarus barred from 2022 Paralympics

MOSCOW. March 3 (Interfax) - The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has decided to bar Russians and Belarusians from competing in the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, the IPC press service said on Thursday.

"Following a specially convened meeting, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board has decided to refuse the athlete entries from the RPC and NPC Belarus for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games," the report said.

The decision was made because some teams have said they do not want to compete in the Games, and also due to the escalation of tension in the Olympic villages, the report said.

"This means that Para athletes from these respective countries will no longer be allowed to participate in the Games which open on 4 March 2022," the IPC said in its release.

The IPC earlier decided not to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Paralympics, but they were expected to compete in a neutral status and their results would not be included in the medal table.