Russia to compete in 2022 Maccabiah Games, despite Paralympic ban
Maccabiah says it is staying out of politics after Russia and Belarus were prohibited from taking part in Winter Paralympics which begin Friday
Russian athletes will be allowed to participate in this summer’s Maccabiah Games, even after the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) banned the Russian and Belarussian teams from the Beijing Winter Olympics that begin on Friday.
Just minutes after the IPC decision was announced on Thursday morning, a Maccabiah source confirmed to Jewish News that both Russian and Ukrainian delegations are still expected attend the Maccabiah Games, due to take place in Israel from 12-26 July, 2022.
The Maccabiah stressed that it is not a political movement and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will not have any impact, at least for now.
“For now, we have no intention of any banning,” the source said.
The Maccabiah is believed to be the third-biggest international sporting event in the world, with over 10,000 athletes participating in 2017, the most recent edition.
In 2017, Russia finished joint seventh alongside Great Britain in the medal table with one gold, two silver and 11 bronze medals.
The Russians have been booted out of numerous international sporting competitions following President Putin’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
On Monday UEFA and FIFA banned Russia from partaking in any international football competitions, including the World Cup qualifying playoff against Poland this month.
The match, originally planned to take place in St Petersburg, was moved to Paris last week but now seems unlikely to be played at all.
Other sporting bodies that have banned Russia include World Rugby, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Formula 1.
The IPC had originally announced that athletes from Russia and Belarus would be allowed to compete under a neutral flag. But the statement released on Wednesday was met by criticism and the threat of a boycott, leading to a complete U-turn.
On Thursday morning, IPC president Andrew Parsons said: “In taking our decision yesterday, we were looking at the long-term health and survival of the Paralympic Movement. We are fiercely proud of the principles and values that have made the Movement what it is today.
“However, what is clear is that the rapidly escalating situation has now put us in a unique and impossible position so close to the start of the Games. Yesterday we said we would continue to listen, and that is what we are doing.”
Parsons said 83 athletes would now be unable to compete, but the decision was taken because of the threat of widespread withdrawals from other countries as well as concerns about safety.
The situation in the athletes village, Parsons said, had “become untenable”.
He said: “In the last 12 hours, an overwhelming number of members have been in touch with us and been very open, for which I am grateful. They have told us that, if we do not reconsider our decision, it is now likely to have grave consequences for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.
“Multiple NPCs (National Paralympic Committees), some of which have been contacted by their governments, teams and athletes, are threatening not to compete.
“Ensuring the safety and security of athletes is of paramount importance to us and the situation in the athlete villages is escalating and has now become untenable.”
At a press conference, Parsons addressed the situation in the village, saying: “We don’t have reports of any specific incidents of aggression or anything like it but the mood in the village, athletes expressing their opinions against the decision we took yesterday, it was becoming a very volatile environment.”
Parsons apologised to athletes from Russia and Belarus, saying: “First and foremost, we have a duty as part of the Paralympic mission, enshrined in the constitution, to guarantee and supervise the organisation of successful Paralympic Games, to ensure that, in sport practised within the Paralympic Movement, the spirit of fair play prevails, violence is banned, the health risk of the athletes is managed and fundamental ethical principles are upheld.
“With this in mind, and in order to preserve the integrity of these Games and the safety of all participants, we have decided to refuse the athlete entries from RPC (Russian Paralympic Committee) and NPC Belarus.
“To the Para athletes from the impacted countries, we are very sorry that you are affected by the decisions your governments took last week in breaching the Olympic Truce. You are victims of your governments’ actions.
“I hope and pray that we can get back to a situation when the talk and focus is fully on the power of sport to transform the lives of persons with disabilities, and the best of humanity.”
Parsons said the IPC was braced for legal action from Russia and Belarus and that officials were working with the two delegations to get their athletes back home as soon as possible.
He admitted his organisation had been taken aback by the strength of the reaction, saying: “Of course we realised that some NPCs would not like it, that some athletes would not like the decision. But I would say the magnitude of the reaction, and the escalation and the trend, it was a surprise for us.
“Some NPCs have written letters to us. None of them said, ‘If Russia and Belarus participate, we are out’. They say, ‘We think you should do that’. That’s very different from what is happening since yesterday’s decision. It’s a very rapid escalation that we did not think was going to happen.”
The decision was welcomed by the British Paralympic Association, with the organisation saying in a statement: “Given the horror of what is happening in Ukraine, we believe they have made the correct decision for these Games and is in line with the values of the Paralympic movement.
“ParalympicsGB athletes can now focus on the competition for which they have trained so hard and their welfare has been at the forefront of our thinking. We continue to express our solidarity with the people of Ukraine and our friends at NPC Ukraine.”
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, who had criticised the initial decision, said on Thursday morning: “I am pleased that the IPC has now come to the right decision, and answered our call to ban Russian and Belarus athletes in response to Putin’s barbaric, senseless invasion.
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