IOC boss misses Paralympics amid ‘witness’ claims

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach will not attend any of the Paralympic Games which started in Rio yesterday, with reports suggesting he would be subpoenaed as a witness in the ticketing scandal if he came to Brazil.

Mr Bach had already said he would not attend yesterday’s opening ceremony as he wanted to remain in Germany for the funeral of his friend Walter Scheel, the former West German foreign minister who died last month, aged 97.

Officials said he was now unable to reschedule other commitments and would be unable to travel to Brazil after the funeral.

Earlier it emerged from investigator Aloysio Falcao that authorities in Brazil want to speak with the German about email exchanges between himself and Pat Hickey, the Irish Olympic Committee president under house arrest in relation to the ticketing scandal.

And the Brazilian newspaper Globo said Mr Bach would be subpoenaed as a witness if he came to Brazil.

Yesterday was the first time an IOC president has missed the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games since 1984.