The Ukrainian Paralympic Community and the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine have announced a boycott of the opening ceremony of the XIV Winter Paralympic Games. Ukrainians are outraged by the cynical decision of the International Paralympic Committee to provide bilateral slots for Russia and Belarus, which will allow 6 Russian Paralympic athletes and 4 Belarusian Paralympic athletes to participate in the XIV Winter Paralympic Games.
Points of attention
- The call is made to the IPC leaders to reconsider the political influences and prioritize the principles of fair competition and ethical sportsmanship.
- The situation reflects broader concerns about the misuse of sports for political purposes and emphasizes the need to address ethical violations within the Paralympic movement.
Ukraine demands a fair decision from the IPC
The National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine draws the world's attention to the fact that neither Russia nor Belarus have passed the qualification process to obtain licenses to participate in the Paralympics in Milano-Cortina.
Moreover, the IPC ignored the fact that these countries are carrying out horrendous military aggression on the territory of Ukraine.
Even after the shameful decision of the 2025 IPC General Assembly to restore their full membership in the international Paralympic movement, Russia and Belarus were not allowed to participate in the Winter Paralympics in Milano-Cortina, as they did not have any legal license for their sports entities.
A significant factor for the IPC should be the fact that all European leaders publicly warn about the threat from Russia, but these warnings were simply ignored when making the decision.
It's no secret that Putin's henchmen openly declare at the country's sports forums that sport is an instrument of state policy for Russia.
Today we call on the leaders of the IPC to remember the high ideals of the international Paralympic movement, which Dr. Guttmann laid in this movement in the aftermath of World War II, and to stop the political influence of the country that is pushing the world towards World War III!
