Winter Paralympics - Beijing2021: E dey fair to ban sports pipo over politics?

Di International Paralympic Committee (IPC) don become di latest sporting organisation to hit Russia wit punishment alias sanctions.

Dem make U-turn and decide to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from di 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics, just 24 hours before di Opening Ceremony on Friday.

Recently, Russian sport don suffer several punishments wey include dia exclusion from di Men's 2022 Fifa World Cup. Dem also lose events such as di F1 Russian Grand Prix.

While sports pipo and organisations across di world don voice dia support of penalties against Russia, pipo dey ask weda dis punishments dey fair.

Winter Paralympics - Beijing2021: 'Discriminatory act'

The Russian Paralympic Committee bin issue statement on 3 March and accuse di IPC of punishing dia athletes.

"Sake of dis decision, dem mean say na Russia athletes be di perpetrators in di current political complications," di RPC tok.

But di IPC President Andrew Parsons tok:

"To Para athletes from di kontris wey dey affected, we dey very sorry say you dey affected by di decisions wey your govment take last week in breaching di Olympic Truce...

"Una be victims of your govment actions."

Di Russian Football Union tok say na discriminatory act to exclude dia teams from competitions and dem vow say dem go challenge Fifa decision.

"[Di decision] dey obviously discriminatory in nature and e don harm many of our athletes, coaches, employees of clubs.

"And national teams, and most importantly, millions of Russian fans," di organisation tok inside one statement.

Winter Paralympics - Beijing2021: 'E go against di spirit of sport'

Among sports people, former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat, wey currently dey compete for rally events, tweet on 1 March, 2022.

E tok say to ban Russian athletes go against di spirit of sport.

"E dey horrify me to see two brotherhood nations in conflict," Kvyat tok inside di tweet wey also criticise di war.

"[But] I go also like highlight and address all sports federations across di world including di IOC say sport gass remain outside politics and preventing Russian athletes.

"And teams from participating in di world competitions na unfair solution and e go against wetin sport dey teach us for im principle - di unity and peace."

While motorsport ruling body FIA decide to allow Russian drivers to compete for events, ban don dey issued at local level.

Di only Russian representative for F1 level, Nikita Mazepin, go dey banned from competing in di British GP for July after Motorsport UK decide.

'Di invasion of Ukraine na bigger injustice'

Dr Keith Rathbone wey be Sports historian for Macquarie University for Sydney, tell di BBC say questioning di fairness of di sporting bans dey valid.

"No be di athletes dey decide wetin dia kontris go do, so dem now face punishment for things wey dem no really get much say ontop."

But Rathbone tok say sports pipo no fit dey shielded from crises like wars.

"Wen you impose sanctions to Russian banks and industries, for example, many pipo dey wey go suffer without a choice too," Im add.

"Di invasion of Ukraine na bigger injustice than wetin sports pipo fit dey go through."

'We no fit continue to pretend say sports and politics no dey linked'

Tanni Grey-Thompson from Britain wey be one of di most victorious Paralympians of all time tok say she sympathise wit di Russian athletes, but say di exclusion na di right move.

"Life for Russia for pesin wey dey disabled dey incredibly hard and most of di athletes dey only funded on di medals dem win," Grey-Thompson, tell BBC Sport.

"E dey hard, but we no fit keep pretending say sports and politics no dey linked"

"Multiple kontris bin face di IPC say dem no go compete. Almost every medal event go dey affected," she tok.

Instances dey where Russian athletes dey publicly criticise Moscow for di attack, including Daniil Medvedev, di world number 1 male tennis player.

Rathbone, however, tok say di decisions to ban athletes no suppose dey taken on individual responses.

"I no think say e go send di right message to analyse case by case," Rathbone tok.

"The stronger message na to say 'Russia dey out until dem step back from Ukraine'."

Winter Paralympics - Beijing2021: Sporting sanctions dey work so?

Past examples don show say sporting sanctions no dey end wars or radically address injustice.

South Africa bin spend decades inside sporting wilderness during Apartheid years before dem officially end dia state-endorsed racial discrimination in 1991.

Similarly, di exclusion of Yugoslavia from the Men's 1992 European Football Championship no stop horrendous violence in di Balkans.

But Rathbone believ say di point made by sporting sanctions get strong symbolic value sake of say sport play a huge part for Russia recent history.

Di country bin host di 2014 Winter Olympics and di 2018 World Cup.

"Sport na powerful tool for Russia and President Vladimir Putin," he tok.

"So, if sport organisations dey re-evaluate dia relationship with Russia, na positive step. Even if e dey come late."