Russia to appeal International Paralympic Committee's decision to bar Russians from 2022 Paralympics - Deputy PM Chernyshenko

MOSCOW. March 3 (Interfax) - Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko has described the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) decision to bar Russians from the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing as discriminatory.

"All of us are under unprecedented pressure nowadays, and a lot of decisions have been made contrary to common sense. But what's most important is that the humanitarian mission of sports is being ruined. It's become known today that the International Paralympic Committee eventually barred Russian athletes from the Games in Beijing. This decision is discriminatory in nature and violates the principles of humanism, especially taking into account the fact that our athletes are already in Beijing," Chernyshenko's press service quoted him as saying.

"I consider it necessary to appeal this decision with CAS [the Court of Arbitration for Sport]. I am asking the [Russian] Olympic Committee to prepare detailed information on the situation with regard to every national Russian federation, assess the risks regarding the exclusions and bans on participation of our athletes, and promptly submit it to the government," he said.

Chernyshenko said the Sports Ministry is reviewing a competition schedule in line with his instructions. "The funds that have become available will be spent on the development of sports at home, [including] the construction of facilities within a walking distance," he said.

"The Sports Ministry is developing a package of measures to hold new all-Russian and open international events, including professional ones, and establish new physical training movements. Instructions have also been issued to relevant agencies to review aspects of the protection of Russian athletes' and federations' rights at courts and jurisdictional bodies," Chernyshenko said.