(MOSCOW) R-Sport — Instead of featuring stories on the Paralympic Games and the International Paralympic Movement, R-Sport will present Russian Paralympic champions from various years and their personal stories of triumph. R-Sport, the long-standing leader in covering sporting events for people with disabilities, including being designated the host agency for the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, will thereby express solidarity with the excluded athletes and demonstrate that sports correspondents have no place at politicized sporting events.
R-Sport news agency head Vasily Konov: "Sports events at this level have always been a festivity and a triumph of will for athletes who have to face tremendous challenges. We were proud and happy to be the host agency at the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi. We met with Mr. Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), several times; he visited us at [our offices on] Zubovsky Boulevard. To our profound regret, the IPC decided to ban Russian Paralympic athletes from participating in the Rio Games.
The decision was based on a report that lacked facts or evidence, although the IPC could have emulated the IOC who had enough common sense to take the right approach. The situation being what it is, we are showing solidarity with our athletes, who remain at home. It makes no sense to be outsiders at a festivity that lacks its sports component and has become a politicized event. We respect everyone who will vie for gold at Rio; we wish every success to the athletes who will participate in the Paralympic Games but we will be watching from the sidelines."
Rossiya Segodnya is an international media group whose mission is to provide prompt and balanced coverage of international events, and to inform its audience about different perspectives on key events. R-Sport is one of several information resources operating as part of Rossiya Segodnya, including RIA Novosti, RIA REALTY, Prime, RIA Rating, and INOSMI.
