the torch lighting ceremony in beijing earlier as the countdown to friday s paralympic opening ceremony continued amid controversy. today, confirmation that despite calls for a ban, athletes from russia and belarus would be allowed to take part, albeit with conditions. they will compete under the paralympic flag and the paralympic anthem. they will not be included in the medals table. the ipc governing board has taken the strongest possible action in response to the gross violation of the olympic truce by the governments of russia and belarus. the ipc said its rules meant a ban could ve led to a legal challenge, but many aren t happy. last month, ukrainian vladyslav heraskevych competed at the beijing olympics, famously using his moment in the spotlight to appeal for peace, displaying this sign as tensions rose. today, from his homejust outside kyiv, he told me of his dismay at the decision. it s sad, for me it s heartbreaking. what message do you think
this will send out? horrible, it s disgusting, because they put russia above other countries and above interests of other countries. anything less than a full ban is unacceptable. the government condemned what it called the wrong decision and is in talks with the british paralympic association over how to protest among concerns that some athletes may refuse to compete against russians in beijing. this decision will put a lot of- tension into the events in beijing. it s all well and good to call- for npcs and athletes to just treat these neutral athletes as athletes. but that will be very difficult to do. - 0lympic leaders have recommended that russians are banned from all competitions, with events and athletes unable to escape the wider diplomatic and political tensions. today, however, proving that sport is far from united in how to respond.
trustees were not ready at all either~ so trustees were not ready at all either. so we have gone through a couple either. so we have gone through a couple of either. so we have gone through a couple of this and the other reality is he couple of this and the other reality is he himself may be sanctioned and that would is he himself may be sanctioned and that would mean he could actually sell the that would mean he could actually sell the club and no one could buy from sell the club and no one could buy from him sell the club and no one could buy from him unless the government gave some from him unless the government gave some kind from him unless the government gave some kind of social dispensation but that s some kind of social dispensation but that s impossible by the way with the football club after all. not it is you the football club after all. not it is you to the football club after all. not it is you to asset for the russian state is you to asset for the
saying it looks like a fire sale. the son of been hammering away at this story for a few days now because chris brought have to bring it up regularly in the house of commons and is difficult not to come to the conclusion that he is seeing the writing on the wall and the government is probably coming for him and he is now getting rid of his main asset, certainly in this country, and chelsea football club and i think if you want to be fair to him, i think he does genuinely love and is grown to love chelsea over the last 19 years and does want what s best for the club and he probably have to side of the best thing for the club is for the owners to take over. i think he has taken that decision before is taken for him basically and i think was interesting and i currently get what you saying there that he always denied financial links with putin but he does not actually. there is no chris is the president putin in the statement he put out tonight and
it was a full programme of fixtures in the scottish premiership, with leaders celtic maintaining their three point lead at the top with a 2 0 win at home to st mirren. second placed rangers kept up the pressure in second with a one goal win at stjohnstone. there were also wins for hearts, livingston and ross county. juventus have beaten fiorentina1 0 with a late winner in the first leg of their coppa italia semifinal. the hosts fiorentina had the better of the chances, but failed to capitalise and an own goal from lorenzo venuti in the 91st minute handed juve the win, with the second leg to be played in turin on the 21st of april. the organisers of the paralympic winter games have decided not to ban athletes from russia and belarus from competing at the games which begin in beijing on friday. but they will have to participate as neutrals. the culture secretary, nadine dorries, has called on the international paralympic committee to urgently reconsider its decision. 0ur sports editor