Athletes from Russia and Belarus have been banned from the 2022 Winter Olympics following a U-turn by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The IPC announced on Wednesday that the two nations were set to compete in Beijing, albeit under the Paralympic flag and without being included in the medal table.
That was despite the International Olympic Committee (IOC) calling for athletes from Russia and Belarus to be prevented from taking part in all international sporting competitions.
However, just a day before the Games are due to begin, the IPC has reversed its decision amid fierce backlash and threats of boycotts.
It means 83 athletes will now no longer be able to compete in the nine-day event, including a 71-strong team from Russia.
IPC president Andrew Parsons said in a statement on Thursday: "At the IPC we are very firm believers that sport and politics should not mix. However, by no fault of its own the war has now come to these Games and behind the scenes many governments are having an influence on our cherished event.
"The IPC is a membership-based organisation, and we are receptive to the views of our member organisations. When our members elected the board in December 2021 it was to maintain and uphold the principles, values, and rules of the Paralympic Movement.
"As board members that is a responsibility and duty we take extremely seriously. 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."
The new announcement comes a week on from Russia invading Ukraine, with neighbouring Belarus effectively used as a staging post for part of the advance.
A joint statement from Ukrainian athletes and the Global Athlete group condemned the IPC's original ruling on Wednesday, accusing the governing body of issuing "another blow" to every Ukrainian athlete and citizen.
Parsons explained that the situation in the athletes' village had become "untenable", leading to the surprise U-turn on the eve of the event.
"Yesterday we said we would continue to listen, and that is what we are doing," 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, 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.
"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 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.
"Athlete welfare is and always will be a key concern for us. As a result of today's decision 83 Para athletes are directly impacted by this decision. However, if RPC and NPC Belarus remain here in Beijing then nations will likely withdraw. We will likely not have a viable Games. If this were to happen, the impact would be far wider reaching.
"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."
The World Athletics Council announced on Tuesday that athletes from Russia and Belarus will be excluded from all World Athletics Series events for the foreseeable future.
A number of other sporting federations, including FIFA and UEFA, have also banned teams and athletes from Belarus and Russia.
Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete at the 2022 Winter Paralympics as neutrals, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has confirmed.
The IPC made the announcement on Wednesday, two days before the nine-day event is scheduled to officially begin in Beijing.
While competitors from Russia and Belarus have been cleared to take part in the global showpiece, they must compete under the Paralympic flag and will not be included in the medal table.
IPC president Andrew Parsons said in a statement: "The IPC and wider Paralympic Movement is greatly concerned by the gross violation of the Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarusian governments in the days prior to the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.
"The IPC Governing Board is united in its condemnation of these actions and was in agreement that they cannot go unnoticed or unaddressed.
"In deciding what actions the IPC should take, it was fundamental that we worked within the framework of our new constitution to remain politically neutral and within the IPC Handbook, the rules and regulations that govern the Paralympic Movement.
"Such neutrality is firmly anchored in the genuine belief that sport holds the transformative power to overcome our shortcomings and summon from within us the best of our humanity, especially in the darkest of moments.
"What we have decided upon is the harshest possible punishment we can hand down within our constitution and the current IPC rules."
The announcement comes six days on from Russian president Vladimir Putin ordering an invasion of Ukraine, with neighbouring Belarus effectively used as a staging post for Russian military.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week called for athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus to be prevented from taking part in all international sporting competitions.
In a statement issued on Monday, the IOC's executive board accused the governments of Russia and Belarus of a "breach of the Olympic Truce" following the attack on Ukraine.
Referencing that statement, Parsons declared further sanctions may follow, with the IPC confirming members will be invited to decide whether to suspend or terminate the membership of the two nations.
"Post-Beijing 2022, we will also take measures with our 206 member organisations to determine whether any breaches of the Olympic Truce for future Paralympic Games could lead to the possible suspension or termination of an NPC [National Paralympic Committee]," he said.
"It is deeply disappointing that such action is required. However, the IPC Governing Board believes it to be necessary in order to hold governments to account for actions that impact directly on the Paralympic Movement, the Paralympic Games and Paralympic athletes.
"This is especially so given the origins of the Paralympic Movement, arising out of the horrific events of the Second World War.
"Now that this decision has been made, I expect all participating NPCs to treat the neutral athletes as they would any other athletes at these Games, no matter how difficult this may be.
"Unlike their respective governments, these Paralympic athletes and officials are not the aggressors, they are here to compete in a sport event like everybody else.
"The eyes of the world will be watching the Paralympic Winter Games in the coming days. It is vital we show to world leaders through our sport that we can unite as human beings and that our true power is found when promoting peace, understanding and inclusion.
"This is at the core of what the Paralympic Movement does and what it stands for. We should not lose sight of this now, no matter what the circumstances."
The World Athletics Council announced on Tuesday that athletes from Russia and Belarus will be excluded from all World Athletics Series events for the foreseeable future.
A number of other sporting federations, including FIFA and UEFA, have also banned teams and athletes from the eastern European countries.
Off-spinner Bryan Charles claimed a three-for to lead the resistance for West Indies President’s XI, amidst a trio of England half-centuries on day one of the four-day warm-up match at Coolidge.
Opener Alex Lees top-scored with a solid 65 off 214, and partner Zak Crawley made 62, with an additional half-century from England captain Joe Root, who added 54 from 105, as England closed the opening day on 251 for 4.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat Lees and Crawley had England off to a comfortable start, until the partnership of 88 without loss was broken by Charles who had the batsman bowled. Root joined Lees at the crease and the pair carried the total to 186 for 1, before Root had his stumps swept away by Shermon Lewis. Lees' steady innings came to an end a few overs later when he was bowled around the legs by Charles. All-rounder Ben Stokes never really got settled and was out caught at the slips after flashing at a Charles delivery, having made just 11 from 29.
Jonny Bairstow joined Dan Lawrence at the crease and the two saw out the rest of the day without further incident. Charles ended the day with figures of 3 for 88, while Lewis ended with 1 for 48.
The National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine has confirmed that a 29-strong team will represent their country at the upcoming Winter Paralympics in Beijing, despite Russia's invasion of their homeland.
Russia launched an assault on Ukraine late last week, leading to a strong backlash from the international sporting community.
After the International Olympic Committee (IOC) condemned Russia's breach of the Olympic Truce, which remains in place until after the end of the Winter Paralympics, Ukrainian athletes penned an open letter to the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to call for the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes ahead of the Winter Games, telling the governing bodies; "your legacy will be defined by your actions."
While the IPC is due to make a decision on Russian and Belarusian participation on Wednesday, Ukrainian Paralympians have moved to confirm that they are departing for the games from undisclosed locations, to compete in biathlon and cross-country skiing events.
"Part of the team is in one place, part is in another," a spokesperson told Public Sports.
"I hope that today we will unite and get to the airport and go to Beijing together. The team is not in Ukraine.
"We will not tell where we are. When we come to Beijing, we will tell. I hope that tomorrow, March 2, we will be in Beijing.
"The team is going [in] full as we planned."
Later that afternoon, a tweet from the official account of the Paralympic Games displayed the Ukrainian athletes prior to their departure for China.
Goals from Kameron Simmonds and Christina Salmon led Jamaica to a 3-0 victory over Cuba at the Concacaf U20 Women Championships in the Dominican Republic on Monday.
Despite losing by 90 runs to Australia in their warm-up match on the weekend, West Indies Women Captain Stafanie Taylor remains optimistic about how well her team will perform during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup campaign.
That said, she opined that she doesn’t mind if the 2016 champions are considered underdogs this time around, saying that the team is a good space and is focused on the task at hand and that they won’t be letting anything distract them from taking the tournament one game at a time.
“I think we're in a really good space at the moment. The two practice games are for us to focus on ourselves and work on ourselves before the first official game against New Zealand,” Taylor said.
“We don't mind being underdogs. It’s good that we don’t get too ahead of ourselves, and some people don't look at us being a 50-over team, but I’ve seen us getting better and better so that's a plus for us.”
The West Indies Women will take on India in the second of their two warm-up games at the Rangiora Oval in Christchurch on Tuesday.
Edwin Allen’s Class I Girls 4x100m team stole the show at Saturday’s staging of the 2022 Gibson/McCook Relays at the National Stadium in Kingston.
The quartet of Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, Brandy Hall and Tia Clayton had a string of flawless baton exchanges to eventually cross the finish line in a time of 43.37 seconds, a new meet record and high school world record.
They finished more than a full second ahead of Hydel who ran 44.40 for second place while St. Jago finished third in 45.50.
Edwin Allen also took the girls Class 4 4x100 in 48.81 and the 4x200m Open in 1:35.91.
Hydel High girls won the Girls Class 2 4x100m in 44.62 and the 4x400m relay in 3:33.76.
Holmwood Technical was also in record-breaking form in the Girls Sprint Medley with 3:55.77 to better the previous meet record of 4:00.83.
Meanwhile, Jamaica College’s 4x800m team was also in fine form, running a new meet record of 7:24.30 to finish almost 12 seconds ahead of second-place finishers Kingston College who ran 7:36.21. St. Jago was third in 7:45.46.
JC smashed the previous meet record of 7:31.71.
Kingston College won two of the four sprint relays, running 44.36 and 45.99 to win Classes 3 and 4, respectively.
The Class 1 4x100m was won by St. Jago in 40.26 ahead of JC (40.40) and St. Catherine High (40.50) while Calabar stormed to victory in Class 2 in 42.19 ahead of KC (42.26).
St. Jago also won the final event of the meet, the boys’ 4x400m in 3:10.48 ahead of KC (3:11.43) and JC (3:12.49).
JC won the Boys’ Sprint Medley in 3:30.82 ahead of KC (3:31.53) and Calabar (3:38.40).
There were also some standout performances from the seniors on display, namely Tissana Hickling and Lushane Wilson.
Hickling won the Women’s Long Jump in 6.70m and 100m in 11.85 while Wilson leapt to a new personal best 2.21m to win the Men’s High Jump.
Cricket West Indies President Ricky Skerritt has paid tribute to Sonny Ramadhin, the legendary spin bowler who passed away at age 92.
Ramadhin was an outstanding match-winner and formed a famous partnership with left-arm spinner Alf Valentine throughout their careers. They were a crucial part of the team which led West Indies to a famous 3-1 series win against England in 1950. Ramadhin had remarkable match figures of 11 wickets for 152 runs in the historic win at Lords – West Indies first Test match win in England.
“On behalf of CWI, I want to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Sonny Ramadhin, one of the great pioneers of West Indies cricket. Mr Ramadhin made an impact from the moment he first stepped onto the field of World Cricket,” Skerritt said.
“Many stories are told of his tremendous feats on the 1950 tour when he combined with Alf Valentine to form cricket’s ‘spin twins’ as West Indies conquered England away from home for the first time. This iconic tour is part of our rich cricket legacy, which was pioneered by Mr Ramadhin and others of his generation.
“His English exploit was celebrated in a famous calypso – and is still remembered more than 70 years later. Today we salute Sonny Ramadhin for his outstanding contribution to West Indies cricket.”
Ramadhin was born in Trinidad on May 1, 1929. He made his Test debut against England at Old Trafford in 1950 in the team alongside the legendary Three Ws, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Everton Weekes and Sir Clyde Walcott.
He played 43 Test matches and took 158 wickets at an average of 28.98 each. His best bowling figures were 7-49 against England at Edgbaston in 1957. Overall, he played 184 first-class matches and captured 758 wickets at 20.24 each.
-ENDS-
Ukrainian athletes have signed an open letter addressed to the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees calling for the immediate suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes ahead of the Winter Paralympics.
After weeks of rising political tensions, Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine on Thursday, with the conflict escalating further over the weekend.
Russia's actions have been widely condemned, and several leading athletes have demanded their entry into the 2022 Beijing Games be blocked.
A letter published by Global Athlete read: "We write to you today on behalf of Ukrainian Athletes to call on you in your leadership capacity of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to immediately suspend the Russian and Belarusian National Olympic and Paralympic Committees.
"Any suspension must also include the banning of all athletes from international sport, including the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games.
"Russia's invasion of Ukraine, supported by Belarus, is a clear breach of the Olympic and Paralympic Charters – a breach that must be met with strong sanctions.
"If the IOC and IPC refuse to take swift action, you are clearly emboldening [this] violation of international law and your own Charters.
"Your lack of action will send a message to every athlete and the world that you have chosen Russia and Belarus over athlete interests. Your legacy will be defined by your actions."
The IOC this week condemned Russia's breach of the Olympic Truce, which remains in place until a week after the end of the Paralympic Games.
The Paralympics will take place between March 4 and March 13.
Former West Indies spinner Sonny Ramadhin has died aged 92, Cricket West Indies President Ricky Skerritt has confirmed. He was living in England at the time of his death.
Between 1950 and 1961, Ramadhin played 43 Tests for the West Indies taking 158 wickets at 28.98.
Born in Esperance Village in Trinidad and Tobago, in 1929, Ramadhin was introduced to cricket at the Canadian Mission School in Duncan Village.
His trials for the West Indian team were two first-class matches bowling for Trinidad versus Jamaica, where he took 12 wickets at an average of 19.25. The performance led to his selection for the 1950 tour to England at the age of 20.
During the 1950 series between West Indies and England, Ramadhin and fellow spinner Alf Valentine dominated the English batting taking 59 wickets between them.
West Indies won the series 3-1, which was their first series victory in England. When England returned to the West Indies in early 1954, Ramadhin took 13 wickets in the first two Tests and was instrumental in West Indies' victory.
Baylor’s Ackera Nugent set a facility record to claim the 60m hurdles title at the Big 12 Championships at the Harry Hoak Track in Iowa on Saturday but it was the Texas Longhorns who stole the show winning their fifth consecutive women’s title and second straight men’s crown.
Nugent, a Sophomore at Baylor clocked a fast 7.91, a facility record, to take the sprint hurdles title ahead of Texas Longhorn Milan Young (8.08). Nugent’s Jamaican compatriot Demisha Roswell, a Junior at Texas Tech claimed the bronze medal in 8.20.
Roswell’s Texas Tech freshman teammate, Vashaun Vascianna, won the men’s title in 7.75. The former St Jago and Kingston College hurdler won his preliminary round heat in 7.70 on Friday.
For the Texas Longhorns, Julien Alfred, Tyra Gittens and Stacey-Ann Williams were all on the podium during the two-day championships.
The Longhorns swept the 400m dash, with Kennedy Simon's diving effort of 51.54 seconds to win her first 400m conference title. Jamaica’s Stacey Ann Williams finished just behind in second at 51.60 seconds, while sophomore Rhasidat Adeleke completed the sweep in third with a time of 52.33.
Texas also enjoyed another sweep in the 200m where St Lucia’s star sprinter Julien Alfred took the title with a time of 22.89 seconds. Kynnedy Flannel was second in 23.02 seconds, while Jamaica’s Kevona Davis finished third in 23.30 seconds.
Alfred was a second-place finisher in the 60m dash, clocking 7.17 seconds, losing by 0.02 to Texas Tech Sophomore Rosemary Chukwuma. Flannel added a third-place finish at 7.30 while Davis added a fifth-place finish at 7.33 seconds.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Tyra Gittens won the silver in the high jump, clearing 1.84m. She was fourth in the long jump competition.
Meanwhile, Baylor’s Women that featured Jamaica’s Kavia Francis would take the 4x400m title in 3:32.77 ahead of Texas Tech (3:35.06) and Oklahoma State (3:36.22).
Former Arsenal forward Carlos Vela netted a hat-trick as LAFC crushed Colorado Rapids 3-0 on the opening day of the 2022 MLS season on Saturday.
Vela struck twice within six first-half minutes, first from the penalty spot before getting in behind the Colorado defence and calmly finishing past goalkeeper William Yarbrough.
The former Mexico international produced his best goal of the game to complete his hat-trick in the 50th minute, curling in a fine left-footed shot from just inside the box.
Vela only managed five goals from 20 MLS appearances last season with LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo cautiously optimistic about his potential impact this term.
“We will have to wait and see what it does. But I think we all know what he can do,” Cherundolo said. “He showed it again today and he worked very hard in preseason to get to where he is today. I'm very happy for him and the group that we're all rewarded for it.”
Yimmi Chara's spectacular 78th-minute goal earned Portland Timbers a 2-2 draw with 2021 Supporters' Shield winners New England Revolution.
Portland, who reached the MLS Cup final last year, found a way back with Chara firing home a stunning overhead goal while Jozy Altidore debuted for the Revs as a 79th-minute substitute.
Ex-Liverpool and Bayern Munich midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri made his debut for Chicago Fire as they drew a blank in a 0-0 draw at Inter Miami.
Leonardo Campana's 10th-minute header from Gonzalo Higuain's cross hit the crossbar for Miami, while Chicago's Stanislav Ivanov struck the upright in the 31st minute. Shaqiri was impressive throughout, with a long-range first-half chance his only major goal attempt.
Toronto, who made a major off-season signing with Lorenzo Insigne to join in July, only managed a 1-1 draw at Dallas.
Philadelphia Union started its new season with a 1-1 home draw against Minnesota United, with Cory Burke levelling Robin Lod's 23rd-minute strike.
New York Red Bulls won 3-1 at San Jose Earthquakes, while Columbus Crew swept aside 10-man Vancouver Whitecaps 4-0.
Cecilio Dominguez netted a double as Austin won 5-0 over last year's bottom side Cincinnati, while Michael Estrada scored a brace as DC United eased past newcomers Charlotte 3-0.
The Jamaica Scorpions have endured a tough start to their 2022 West Indies Championship campaign, losing their first two games to the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and the Barbados Pride, respectively.
The Jamaican outfit lost a low-scoring affair to the Red Force in Trinidad before falling short in a run-fest against the Pride at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
In the latter, the Scorpions found themselves 299-3 batting first at the end of day one, only to be bowled out early on day 2 for 328. After toiling hard in the field, thanks to a brilliant 276 from Barbados captain Kraigg Brathwaite, the Scorpions were staring at a first-innings deficit of 193 runs after Barbados declared their first innings on 521-8.
At one point in their second innings, Jamaica was 131-2 on day four and the game was seemingly heading towards a draw before, you guessed it, another collapse ensued.
They lost their final eight wickets for 102 runs, leaving the Pride with only 40 runs to get for an outright win, which they did by 10 wickets.
The question has to be asked: What is causing these batting collapses?
“Soft dismissals after a significant partnership or after individual players would have had starts,” was the response offered by Jamaica Scorpions head coach Andre Coley told Sportsmax.tv.
“The thinking has to be that we are never in as a batting unit, which means we need to be ready for the period-by-period battles while being sensitive to and aware of key periods in the game in which there could be a momentum shift. Bottom line is we need hunger for centuries and big runs, while having the patience to execute our plans,” he added.
Under normal circumstances, the regional four-day competition would see each team playing 10 matches but in this Covid-19 shortened season, each team will only play five matches, with that in mind, how many chances will players get?
“Usually, you would want to give players an opportunity or a run. A shorter tournament can mean less room for error or comeback. There can be no excuses in all areas if we are to move up the table. Performances that help the team either win or draw are important,” Coley said.
When asked about challenges faced in the first two rounds of the championship, Coley had this to say.
“Our most significant challenge at the end of round 2 would’ve been around our inability to bat a specific number of sessions based on the team plans. We have identified the areas of focus for the next six weeks. Our inability to take 20 wickets in either of the matches was also an area of concern, injury played a role here, and despite consistent early strikes, we were unable to get past resolute middle order defenses. Our ground fielding was excellent, and our catching was above average compared to the previous season,” he said.
Spartak Moscow, the Russian Premier League club of Reggae Boy forward, Shamar Nicholson, will not be allowed to host its last 16 tie of the Europa League.
The ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which has sparked global condemnation, prompted the European football governing body to reschedule all the club’s matches for neutral venues, following an emergency meeting on Friday. The ruling applies to all Russian and Ukrainian teams in European competitions.
Spartak Moscow has been drawn to face RB Leipzig in the round of 16, with the tie commencing at the Red Bull Arena in Germany, on March 10. The return leg will take place the following week, but the venue is yet to be announced.
"The UEFA Executive Committee also decided that Russian and Ukrainian clubs and national teams competing in UEFA competitions will be required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice,” a release issued from the sport’s governing body explained.
Nicholson joined the Moscow club from Belgian Pro League side RSC Charleroi, where he scored 13 goals and five assists in 18 matches last year.
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