International Paralympic Committee condemned for allowing Russian athletes to compete

Russian athletes are continuing to be restricted from competing in sporting events around the world with the big exception being their Paralympians in the Beijing Winter Games.

On the day when Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich felt compelled to put one of the world’s biggest soccer clubs, Chelsea, up for sale, sports including biathlon and table tennis were among those on Wednesday to exclude Russian and Belarusian competitors because of the invasion of Ukraine.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC), however, said Russians and Belarusians would be able to compete in Beijing as “neutral athletes” without national symbols - a decision that prompted widespread condemnation.

Watch the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games on Channel 7 and stream it for free on 7plus >>

The Winter Paralympics open on Friday and numerous Russian athletes are already in the Chinese capital. The IPC has said it is working to get the Ukrainian team there, too.

Other sports bodies that have so far let Russians and Belarusians keep competing as neutral athletes include FINA, which governs swimming and other aquatic sports, and the federations for boxing, gymnastics, fencing and judo.

Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale in a statement on the club website, vowing to invest profits from the sale in a fund for victims of the war in Ukraine.

The British government had faced calls to place sanctions on Abramovich along with other wealthy Russians.

The restrictions on athletes and teams have been strongly criticised by Russian politicians and on Wednesday by striker Artem Dzyuba, the top scorer for the Russian national soccer team.

The Zenit St Petersburg player wrote on Instagram that he is “against any war. War is terrible.”

But he added he