“This is a man who carried the Russian flag at the opening of the Paralympic Games in Rio, showing solidarity with those who have been barred from the Rio Paralympics in a mean and inhuman way”.
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Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has called a representative of Belarus who carried a Russian flag at the Paralympics opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro “a hero”.
“I feel very sorry that you are unable to take part in this holiday of sports (in Rio), but we will imply maximum of our efforts to return to the global Paralympic family as soon as possible”, Mutko added.
RPC President Vladimir Lukin said addressing the opening ceremony, held at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall, that during the “All-Russian Competitions” all political issues must pale into insignificance.
The Russian team was banned from competing at the 2016 Paralympic Games following allegations of state-sponsored doping made in an independent report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
“During this hard period, he remembered about us, thought about fairness and that politics should not be part of sporting competitions.It’s great that the Belarusians thought about the closest country to them, about Russian Federation”.
“A hero has appeared today amongst us”.
The IPC say they are working to identify the offender before deciding how to proceed.
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“This was the right thing. If we need to answer for these gestures, then we will answer”, the Ministry’s press secretary Dmitri Mironchik told RIA Novosti.
