Wheelchair basketball conditionally reinstated for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
IPC's Governing Board provisionally accepts new athlete classification criteria
Under orders from the International Paralympic Committee's Governing Board, wheelchair basketball has been conditionally reinstated onto the Paris 2024 sports programme.
The IPC's Governing Board then declared the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) non-compliant with its Athlete Classification Code and removed the sport with immediate effect from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
That move forced the IWBF to update its classification rules and regulations, including the assessment of minimum impairment criteria.
The IPC also threatened at that time to withdraw the marquee sport from Tokyo 2020.
All Tokyo-bound wheelchair basketball players in classifications 4.0 or 4.5 — the highest mobility — had to be reassessed.
Wheelchair Basketball Canada is pleased with the announcement that the IPC has conditionally reinstated the sport of wheelchair basketball onto the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games sport program. <a href="https://t.co/InZVOsLt4Q">https://t.co/InZVOsLt4Q</a>
—@WCBballCanadaWheelchair basketball players are classified from 1 to 4.5, with trunk control and sitting balance the main difference between classes.
David Eng, a two-time gold medallist and Canada's flag-bearer at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, was ruled ineligible to compete at Tokyo 2020 under the IBWF's new classification standards.
"The IPC is pleased with the significant progress made by the IWBF over the last six months in its efforts to achieve Code compliance," IPC President Andrew Parsons said in a statement. "The IPC will always support the IWBF in its work to further develop its classification systems. We look forward to this successful working relationship continuing and this being the beginning of a new chapter."
'Inspire future generations'
IWBF president Ulf Mehrens was also delighted with the sport's reinstatement to the Paris Paralympic programme.
"We are thankful that IPC has recognized the extensive work that has been done to update our rules and ensure they are aligned with the IPC's Code and are pleased with the progress IWBF has made so far to become code compliant.
According to the IPC, the conditional reinstatement is designed to provide assurance that the IWBF fully implements its new classification rules.
The changes to the IWBF Classification Rules and Regulations for international wheelchair basketball come into effect Oct. 1, 2021.
With files from The Canadian Press
