Russian hockey player, State Duma deputy Vyacheslav Fetisov called the decision of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to remove Russian athletes from participation in the 2022 Games in Beijing as boundless and inhumane. He spoke about this in an interview with Lenta.ru.
Fetisov stressed that this development points to the weakness of leadership in international sports, since, according to him, sport should be an ambassador of peace everywhere and in any situation.
“Paralympic athletes, people who, overcoming their life’s difficulties, came to feel like members of a large Paralympic family, were simply offended … Here, not only it is necessary to sue, but also to the court for human rights. (…) They prepared, dreamed, for many this may be the last chance,” he said.
The hockey player also said that, like all Russians, he regrets what is happening.
On March 3, the IPC refused to allow Russian athletes to compete at the 2022 Games. The decision was changed due to the fact that the national committees opposed the participation of Russia in the competition.
The Paralympic Games will be held from 4 to 12 March. 71 athletes from Russia were supposed to take part in the competition.
Source: Lenta
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
