Sawt Falasteen - No country 'formally' boycotting Paralympics ceremony: organisers

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) issued a list of all countries' flag-bearers for the closing ceremony, which will take place at the Cortina curling stadium later Sunday.

Several nations, including many of those that boycotted last Friday's opening ceremony, were indicated as having a "volunteer" as their flag-bearer, rather than one or two of their athletes.

However, IPC communications officer Craig Spence told a press conference in Cortina: "No National Paralympic Committee (NPC) has formally informed the IPC that they are not attending for political reasons."

The opening ceremony was boycotted by Ukraine, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland following the IPC's decision to allow Russia and Belarus to take part in the Games under their national flags rather than as neutral competitors.

Russia and Belarus were 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.

During last week's opening spectacle in Verona, representatives of the Russian team were booed by some spectators as they paraded behind the country's flag.

Of the seven countries that boycotted the ceremony at the Verona Arena, only Finland have named a flag-bearer for Sunday's closing event.

"Several NPCs have already started their journey home, having completed competition earlier in the week," Spence added.

"Some are attending, but have decided not to name flag-bearers.

"But I sincerely hope that the focus this evening is on those delegations that are here, celebrating what a big, spectacular Paralympic Games it has been."

Y.Zaher--SF-PST