A possible reprieve for paralympic sailing for the Tokyo 2020 Games could emerge next week when the report by the IPC governing board into the selection criteria is published.

This follows last weekend’s decision by the International Paralympic Committee to drop the sport from the line-up for Japan after just five appearances at the event.

A total of 24 sports were eligible for the maximum of 23 though the IPC also reserved the right to reduce the number for the games.

Approved

Sixteen sports were approved last October: athletics, archery, badminton, boccia, equestrian, goalball, powerlifting, rowing, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, triathlon, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis.

A further eight sports were asked for more information: canoe, cycling, football five-a-side, football seven-a-side, judo, taekwondo, sailing and wheelchair fencing.

Last Saturday, the IPC announced that 7-a-side football and sailing did not meet the core requirements of worldwide participation.

Disappointment

A formal response to the news from the International Sailing Federation that since October has merged the International Disabled Sailing Federation into its organisation stated its profound disappointment to exclude sailing from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

IFDS chairman and ten-time Irish paralympic veteran John Twomey told The Irish Times that all queries from the IPC had been fully replied to.

“The requirement is for 32 countries for individual sports which covers sailing as we have the single-handed 2.4 metre class; we submitted a list of 38 countries that met the criteria,” he said. “We have not received the detailed analysis of the sports commission which won’t be ready for a further week. Until we see that document, it’s very difficult for me to comment fully.”