Paralympics scandal: Ecuador accused of fielding non-disabled athletes

September 4, 2024

The Observatory for Monitoring Public Policy Compliance in Ecuadorian Sport (ODDE) claims that a network of corruption has been operating within Ecuador’s sports institutions, allowing individuals without disabilities to fraudulently obtain “functional classifications” required to compete in Paralympic events. These accusations have been reported by the South American outlet Infobae, which states that this malpractice has been ongoing for several years and involves high-ranking officials in Ecuadorian sports.

According to the ODDE, this corrupt scheme dates back to at least the 2015 Toronto Parapan American Games, where Ecuador won its first gold medal in the long jump. That victory is now under heavy scrutiny, as allegations suggest that the athlete involved did not meet the necessary disability criteria. The ODDE has specifically named Santiago David Chango Pilataxi, the technical methodological director of the Ecuadorian Paralympic Committee, and Walter Oswaldo Haro Ruiz, his counterpart at the Ecuadorian Federation of Sports for People with Intellectual Disabilities (FEDEDI), as the primary figures behind this alleged scheme. Inside The Games