Ukraine to boycott the opening ceremony of the 2026 Paralympics
This was reported by The Public with reference to the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine.
The National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine stated that the Ukrainian Paralympic team and committee will boycott the opening ceremony of the Games. Ukraine also demands that the Ukrainian flag not be used during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Paralympics.
The reason for this decision is the position of the International Paralympic Committee, which provided additional slots for representatives of Russian and Belarusian Paralympic sports to participate in the Winter Games in Milan and Cortina.
According to the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine, six representatives of Russian and four representatives of Belarusian Paralympic sports have been given the opportunity to participate in the Paralympics. The committee noted that these countries did not pass the qualifying selection process to obtain the relevant licences.
The statement emphasises that Ukraine considers the decision of the International Paralympic Committee to be contrary to the principles of the international Paralympic movement.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Paralympic team will participate in the competitions and continue to compete in the Paralympic Games, competing for sporting results.
The National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine also announced its intention to continue to uphold the principles of fairness in Paralympic sport and thanked its international partners for their support of Ukraine.
