MOSCOW, March 10. /TASS/. Paralympic Games ‘We Are Together. Sports’ in the Russian city of Khanty-Mansiisk would be held between March 18 and 21, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said on Thursday.

"Khanty-Mansiisk is ready to host the Winter Paralympic Games and they will be held between March 18 and 21," Chernyshenko, who oversees issues of sports, culture and tourism in the Russian government, said.

"The region boasts all the necessary sporting and hosting infrastructure in line with the national standards," he said. "All sporting facilities are located close to each other and there should be no problems at all regarding the transportation logistics. The climate is also favorable for the tournaments at this time of the year."

On March 5, Chernyshenko told TASS that he tasked the Russian Sports Ministry and the Finance Ministry to start working jointly with the government of Yugra, located in the Khanty-Mansiisk Autonomous Area, on the organization of the Paralympic Games ‘We Are Together. Sports,’ and to set the dates and location for the tournament.

Sergey Artamonov, the head of the physical culture and sports of Yugra, said on Wednesday that up to 70 athletes will take part in six sports competitions - cross-country skiing, biathlon, curling, snowboarding, alpine skiing, sledge ice hockey. The competitions would be held under the Russian state flag and to the tune of the national anthem, the head of the physical culture and sports of Yugra added.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced a decision on March 4 to ban athletes from Russia and Belarus from their participation in the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games, which kicked off later that day today in China’s Beijing.

The Team of RPC (the Russian Paralympic Committee) included 71 athletes - 33 (in cross country skiing and biathlon), 17 (sledge ice-hockey), 10 (alpine skiing) six (snowboarding), five (wheelchair curling).

The 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in the Chinese capital of Beijing are held between March 4 and 13. During the 128th IOC session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31, 2015, Beijing was chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games making the Chinese capital the first city ever to host both the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games (in 2008) as well as the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games (in 2022).

Russian Paralympians at Beijing-2022

Due to international sanctions against Russian sports, athletes from Russia were obliged to participate in the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games under the flag and logo of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) instead of the Russian national flag and state emblem.

The national anthem of Russia was also under sanctions at the Paralympic Games in China. The First Piano Concerto by Pyotr Tchaikovsky was selected to be played at awarding ceremonies for Russian Paralympians in Beijing.