Paralympians competing in Rio will inspire and excite the world as the Games get under way, those who gathered to watch the spectacular opening ceremony have been told.
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Russian Federation is staging a self-styled “alternative Paralympics” after its national team was barred from the official Rio Games over alleged state-sponsored doping.
“Many global federations did not support the decision of the worldwide Paralympic Committee (IPC)”.
Athletes with various physical and mental impairment – including mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy – will compete in a range of sports. “The Paralympic sports in Russian Federation will continue receiving support, attention and care on behalf of the authorities”.
The Paralympic Games already has its first political protest, right at the beginning with the opening ceremony.
“The politics will be aside during the competitions. It is therefore an absolutely understandable gesture of our Paralympic athletes, and we stand by the Russians on this issue entirely and completely”.
The RPC president added: “We are all sending our honest greetings to the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro since we are all brothers and sisters and in the Paralympic family and wish that the Games there will be good”. “The IPC has cancelled the accreditation of the individual who carried the Russian flag as part of the Belarus delegation in the OC (Opening Ceremony) Rio 2016”, IPC spokesman Craig Spence wrote in his Twitter account on Thursday. The Games began on Wednesday and will continue till September 18.
Just as India sent their largest-ever contingent to the 2016 Rio Olympics, the Paralympics Games will also feature 19 athletes from the nation, the highest sent for the event till date.
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