Bonn (Germany), Oct 23 (IANS) In a significant decision this September, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) General Assembly voted not to maintain the partial suspension of the National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) of Belarus and Russia. The move reinstated both NPCs’ full membership rights and privileges, meaning Para athletes from the two countries are once again free to compete in the Paralympic Games – provided they qualify according to the rules of their respective international federations.

Under the Paralympic system, each sport’s international federation is responsible for determining both the qualification pathway and the eligibility of athletes for its events. Following the IPC General Assembly’s decision, the Committee sought confirmation from the four international federations governing the sports featured at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games – the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), International Biathlon Union (IBU), World Curling, and World Para Ice Hockey.

The responses from the federations, however, made one reality clear: in practice, athletes from Belarus and Russia are not likely to qualify for the Games next March.

In the snow sports, the FIS Council voted on Tuesday, October 21, not to facilitate the participation of athletes from the two nations in its qualification events for Milano Cortina 2026. Similarly, the IBU confirmed that “the Belarusian and Russian Biathlon Federations remain suspended from its competitions as per the IBU Congress decision of September 2022.”

When it comes to Para ice hockey, while the IPC’s September decision technically allows Russia to compete again, World Para Ice Hockey has made clear that “it is not possible in practice for the nation to qualify for March’s Games.” Belarus, meanwhile, “does not currently have a Para ice hockey team competing at the international level.”

In wheelchair curling, World Curling had already announced in January 2025 that it would extend the exclusion of Belarus and Russia from its competitions until the end of the 2024–2025 season. As a result, teams from both nations are ineligible to qualify for Milano Cortina 2026.

IPC President Andrew Parsons emphasised the organization’s respect for the autonomy of each federation, stating, “In the same way that the IPC fully respects the decision of the IPC General Assembly not to maintain the partial suspensions of NPC Belarus and NPC Russia, we also fully respect the decisions of each international federation regarding the sports they govern.”

“The positions of FIS, IBU and World Curling currently mean that athletes and teams from Belarus and Russia cannot compete in their events, making it impossible for them to qualify for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

“While Belarus and Russia can now compete in Para ice hockey competitions, at this late stage of the qualification cycle, the six teams for November’s Paralympic Games Qualification Tournament have already been determined.

“With the positions of the four International Federations responsible for the six sports on the Paralympic Winter Games programme clear, I hope the focus will now be very much on the outstanding athletes and NPCs that will compete at Milano Cortina 2026 next March, as well as the tremendous transformational legacies the Paralympic Winter Games will create.”

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will run from March 6–15, 2026, featuring 79 medal events across six sports. The event will also mark a historic milestone – the 50th anniversary of the Paralympic Winter Games, which began in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden in 1976.

–IANS

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