Ukrainian soccer league suspended, Paralympics in talks

The International Paralympic Committee said it was in talks with sports officials in Ukraine and Russia as their teams prepare to head to China for the start of the Paralympic Games next week. The IPC is in dialogue with both the Ukrainian and Russian Paralympic Committees ahead of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, the IPC said in an emailed statement.

The Ukrainian Premier League suspended operations as Russia attacked Ukraine on Thursday. In a brief statement, the league said the suspension was due to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to impose martial law. It did not give any planned date to resume. The International Paralympic Committee said it was in talks with sports officials in Ukraine and Russia as their teams prepare to head to China for the start of the Paralympic Games next week. ''The IPC is in dialogue with both the Ukrainian and Russian Paralympic Committees ahead of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games,'' the IPC said in an emailed statement. ''As a politically neutral organization, the IPC's focus remains on the upcoming Games rather than the ongoing situation.'' Russia's name, flag and anthem are already barred from the March 4-13 Paralympics in Beijing over previous doping disputes. Its team is due to compete as RPC, short for the Russian Paralympic Committee.