BEIJING, March 4. /TASS/. The rules of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) do not allow the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) to challenge the decision to exclude Team ROC athletes from the Beijing Games in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the press service stated on Friday.
"After receiving the IPC’s decision on non-admission of the team to the Games, the RPC involved leading Russian and foreign law firms to carry out a legal examination of the possibility to apply to the CAS and obtain a positive decision," the statement reads. "Unfortunately, Article 2.9 of the Paralympic Games section of the IPC Rules does not allow this, the IPC can, at its sole discretion, ban any athlete from participation without giving reasons. Also, the IPC constitution lacks an arbitration clause allowing the RPC to apply to the CAS to resolve differences," according to the press service.
The RPC believes that the IPC’s arguments do not stand up to scrutiny. "This decision is politically-motivated, it contradicts all the Paralympic movement’s postulates and clearly indicates that double standards, unfortunately, have become the norm for modern sports," the press service noted.
"We are going to receive the right to apply to the appropriate international and national courts when the RPC considers it timely and necessary. The RPC is asking for help and support from the International Disability Alliance <…>," the statement says.
On Thursday, the IPC changed its decision, banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the Paralympic Games, as other countries’ teams refused to compete with them. Earlier, the organization allowed Russian and Belarusian Paralympians to take part in the Games in a neutral status - the athletes had to perform under the IPC flag using the anthem of the Paralympic Games in Beijing.