The president of Ukraine’s National Paralympic Committee, Valeriy Sushkevych, has criticized the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for its recent decision to permit athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in the upcoming 2026 Paralympic Games in Italy. Sushkevych argues that this move violates the IPC’s own regulations.
In an interview, Sushkevych explained that the IPC granted the maximum number of invitations to Russian and Belarusian athletes despite their failure to qualify for the events. He stated, “Before the Paralympics, they had no right for specific athletes to participate. When the IPC allocated six slots to Russia and four to Belarus this past Monday, it effectively rescued these athletes from both nations.”
According to Sushkevych, the IPC’s criteria for granting such slots typically favor countries that are newcomers to the sport or where winter Paralympic sports are underdeveloped. He emphasized that both Russia and Belarus have long histories in winter sports, questioning the justification for their inclusion.
In response to the IPC’s decision, the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee announced a boycott of the opening ceremony of the XIV Winter Paralympic Games. They have also requested that the Ukrainian flag not be displayed during the event.
The committee expressed outrage over what they termed the IPC’s “cynical decision” to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate under their national flags. The IPC stated that these athletes would be treated the same as competitors from any other country.
Ukraine’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Matviy Bidny, confirmed that government representatives would also boycott the Games in light of the IPC’s ruling.
The Italian government has voiced strong opposition to the IPC’s decision, with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, along with Minister of Sports Andrea Abodi, urging the IPC to reconsider its stance.
The Winter Paralympic Games are scheduled to take place from March 6 to March 15, 2026. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian and Belarusian athletes were only allowed to compete as “neutral” competitors at the Olympics.
Ukraine's National Paralympic Committee has condemned the IPC's decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the 2026 Paralympic Games, claiming it breaches IPC rules. The Ukrainian government and sports officials have announced a boycott in response to this controversial ruling.
Source: Radio Svoboda