Russia said it would appeal the decision of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to ban Russian athletes from the Rio Paralympic Games. The All-Russia Sport Federation of the Physically Disabled said, it has lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Earlier in the day, the IPC released a statement on suspending Russian athletes from the Rio Paralympics with immediate effect. The Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko called the decision unprecedented, voicing support for the Russian Paralympic Committee to resort to legal means.The World Anti-Doping Agency had asked the IOC to ban Russia, but each individual sporting federation was given the power to decide if Russian athletes could compete.