IPC president says russian soldiers can compete in Paralympics

His words were reported by the BBC.

‘When the General Assembly decided to lift the ban on russia and Belarus, it was decided to treat them like any other National Paralympic Committee. There are many countries that recruit athletes from the armed forces, so if russia does so, it will not be the only one.’

According to him, it does not matter what the military did in the past at the Paralympics.

"We must remember where we came from. Our movement began after the Second World War, with wounded soldiers. So the Paralympic movement offers opportunities after the war.

We are against any war, any conflict, but we offer those who have been wounded in war the opportunity to reintegrate into society through sport. It does not matter to us what they did in the past on the battlefield. Of course, war crimes are another matter, but our movement offers a second chance."

Commenting on Ukraine's dissatisfaction with this decision, he referred to democracy.

‘The General Assembly lifted the ban in September, so we have to respect the democracy of our movement. The majority voted for it, so we have to comply with their decision. But I fully understand the disappointment, I understand the different opinions, especially those coming from Ukraine.’

When asked what he would say to Ukrainian athletes, Parsons replied:

‘My message to them is this: the best way to demonstrate Ukraine's strength is on the sports field, winning medals and ensuring that their anthem is played as often as possible on Italian soil.’

As a reminder, six russian and four Belarusian athletes will compete under their national flags at the 2026 Paralympic Games, which will take place from 6 to 15 March.

Source: Champion, BBC