On August 2nd the ITF made some changes to the way Wheelchair players are classified. Classification is a detailed process by which a player’s physical disability is assessed, and the players are required to show medical evidence of their condition.
The “bottom line” of this is that some players have been “de-classified” and therefore can no longer compete in certain events including the Paralympics.
De-classification is like a disqualification, which suggests it is with immediate effect.
However, although the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) has sanctioned the changes, the ITF has decided that the changes will not take effect until 2022, so AFTER Tokyo.
This means that players who are no longer eligible to compete are still allowed to play in Tokyo.
Needless to say, there is much anger and disbelief among the “legitimate” players who are now in their build-up to Tokyo 2020.
You can read full details about the changes on the ITF website by clicking here.