KYIV: Ukrainian officers will boycott the Paralympic Winter Video games, Kyiv stated on Wednesday (Feb 18), after the Worldwide Paralympic Committee allowed Russian athletes to compete beneath their nationwide flag.
Ukraine additionally urged different nations to shun the opening ceremony in Verona on Mar 6, in a part of a rising standoff between Kyiv and worldwide sporting federations 4 years since Russia’s invasion.
Six Russians and 4 Belarusians shall be allowed to participate beneath their very own flags on the Milan-Cortina Paralympics reasonably than as impartial athletes, the Video games’ governing physique confirmed to AFP on Tuesday.
Russia has been largely banned from worldwide sport since Moscow invaded Ukraine. The IPC’s choice triggered fury in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s sports activities minister Matviy Bidny referred to as the choice “outrageous”, and accused Russia and Belarus of turning “sport right into a software of warfare, lies, and contempt”.
“Ukrainian public officers is not going to attend the Paralympic Video games. We is not going to be current on the opening ceremony,” he stated on social media.
“We is not going to participate in some other official Paralympic occasions,” he added.
Ukrainian Overseas Minister Andriy Sybiga stated he had instructed Kyiv’s ambassadors to induce different nations to additionally shun the opening ceremony.
“Permitting the flags of aggressor states to be raised on the Paralympic Video games whereas Russia’s warfare towards Ukraine rages on is flawed – morally and politically,” Sybiga stated on social media.
The EU’s sports activities commissioner Glenn Micallef stated he would additionally skip the opening ceremony.
Overseas Minister Antonio Tajani of Italy, which is internet hosting the Video games, joined the criticism and referred to as on the IPC to rethink its choice.
