Czech Paralympians to boycott opening ceremony of Games over admission of athletes from Russia and Belarus
Kyiv • UNN
The Czech Paralympic Committee will refuse to participate in the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games. This is a protest against the admission of athletes from Russia and Belarus under national flags.
The Czech Paralympic Committee has officially announced its refusal to participate in the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games. This decision is a protest against the decision of international sports structures to allow representatives of aggressor countries to compete under national flags and symbols. This was reported by the Novinky publication, writes UNN.
Details
In their statement, Czech representatives noted that the participation of Russian and Belarusian para-athletes negates the basic humanistic principles of the competitions. In their opinion, allowing states that violate international law and kill civilians is an insult to the entire Olympic community.
The Paralympians emphasized that solidarity with the victims of aggression is much more important than protocol events and festive ceremonies.
As long as the aggression in Ukraine continues, Russian and Belarusian athletes have no place in international competitions. We will join the Ukrainian team in boycotting the opening ceremony
Preparation for competitions in a tense atmosphere
The Winter Paralympic Games are scheduled to take place from March 6 to 15, but preparations for them are overshadowed by diplomatic scandals and mass protests by national federations. Sports officials warn that allowing Russia and Belarus to participate could lead to further demarches from other European countries. Czech athletes plan to focus exclusively on their performances, completely ignoring any official events involving representatives of the occupying countries.
Therefore, we will join the Ukrainian team in boycotting the opening ceremony
Ukraine to boycott opening ceremony of 2026 Paralympics20.02.26, 08:46 • 6582 views