Sawt Falasteen - Ukraine Paralympics team to boycott opening ceremony over Russian flag decision

"The Ukrainian Paralympic team and the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine are boycotting the opening ceremony of the 14th Winter Paralympic Games and demand that the Ukrainian flag not be used at the opening ceremony of the Paralympics-2026!" the committee said in a statement published late Thursday night.

The Czechs joined them later on Friday.

"We will not participate in the opening ceremony in any way," the Czech Paralympic Committee said in a statement.

"We disagree with the participation of Russians and Belarusians in the Games. We have always been against their return in any form."

"While the aggression in Ukraine lasts, Russian and Belarusian athletes have no place in international events," it added.

The decision follows that of Ukrainian government officials, who announced on Wednesday they would boycott the March 6 ceremony in Verona.

The IPC declined to comment when approached by AFP on Friday, adding they were in contact with the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee.

Ukraine's fury was sparked by the IPC decision to allow six Russians and four Belarusians to take part under their own flags at the Milan-Cortina Paralympics rather than as neutral athletes.

Russia and Belarus had been banned from the 2022 Paralympics following the invasion of Ukraine, although they were permitted to compete as neutral athletes in the Paris Summer Paralympics two years later.

- 'Peace for all' -

Ukraine's Sports Minister Matviy Bidny called the decision "outrageous", and accused Russia and its ally Belarus of turning "sport into a tool of war, lies, and contempt".

Valeriy Sushkevych, president of the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee, told AFP on Tuesday that Kyiv's athletes would not go for a full boycott of the Paralympics.

Ukraine traditionally performs strongly at the Winter Paralympics, coming second in the medals table four years ago in Beijing.

"If we do not go, it would mean allowing Putin to claim a victory over Ukrainian Paralympians and over Ukraine by excluding us from the Games," said the 71-year-old in an interview.

"That will not happen!"

Nevertheless Sushkevych's anger at what he saw as a betrayal of Ukraine was clear in an interview with AFP on Tuesday and culminated with Thursday's decision.

Sushkevych said the Ukrainian team's motto at the 2022 Games "Peace for all", which had been displayed throughout the event, had not been reflected this time round by the IPC.

"I would like to stress that at that time the IPC leaders supported our fight against the war," he said.

"Today, the IPC has changed its position and failed to adhere to the values of humanity, democracy, and the philosophy of the international Paralympic movement, precisely in accordance with the slogan 'Peace for all'.

"But we will continue to fight in order to unite nations in the struggle against war."

The Ukrainians are not alone in voicing their discontent with the decision.

The Italian government expressed its disapproval whilst Glenn Micallef, the EU Commissioner for Sport, said he would boycott the ceremony.

H.Nasr--SF-PST