Czech Republic to boycott Paralympic opening ceremony due to Russia and Belarus participation
The Czech Republic has joined the boycott of the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games due to the admission of athletes from Russia and Belarus to the competition under national symbols. As Novynky writes, Czech Paralympians will refuse to participate in the celebrations in protest against the presence of representatives of the aggressor countries.
“While the aggression in Ukraine continues, Russian and Belarusian athletes have no place in international competitions”, the Czech Paralympic Committee said.
The committee emphasized that sport should be based not only on results, but also on principles that Russian aggression against Ukraine grossly violates.
“Therefore, we will join the Ukrainian team boycotts opening ceremony,” they said.
The 2026 Winter Paralympic Games will run from March 6 to 15. Meanwhile, the government of Italy, which will host the competition in Milan-Cortin, previously opposed the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus. In addition, representatives of the Estonian Paralympic Committee and the Ministry of Culture also announced that they would not participate in official events. The European Commission had previously announced its intention to boycott the opening ceremony due to the admission of Russians and Belarusians.
