BERLIN: The National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) of Russia and Belarus were suspended by the International Paralympic Committee with immediate effect, endangering the chances of their para-athletes to compete in the 2024 Paralympics.

Prior to this, athletes from the two nations were prohibited from competing in the March 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Belarus served as a staging place for.

At the IPC's special General Assembly on Wednesday in Berlin, the suspension of Russia was approved by a vote of 64 to 39, with 16 abstentions. The vote to suspend the NPC of Belarus was 54-45 with 18 abstentions.
Due to their "inability to comply with their membership responsibilities under the IPC Constitution," both NPCs were suspended.

According to the IPC Constitution, NPC Russia and NPC Belarus forfeit all rights and privileges associated with IPC membership as a result of their suspension, the IPC said in a statement.

"NPC Russia and NPC Belarus each have the option to challenge the ruling.

If an appeal is rejected, the suspension can only be lifted by the General Assembly. The location of the upcoming IPC General Assembly, which is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023, has not yet been determined.

The NPCs of Belarus and Russia were given the opportunity to speak the General Assembly and make their cases before the vote, according to IPC President Andrew Parsons.

Parsons described the current state of affairs in the sporting world as "very heated and complex." "I hope and pray that the situation in Ukraine ends quickly, that peace is established, and that no more innocent lives be lost or harmed," the speaker said.

Games qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympics are scheduled to take place in 2023 and 2024. Due to doping, the Russian squad was also excluded from the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.

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