Representatives of Poland’s Ministry of Sport and Tourism will not take part in the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympic Games due to the participation of Belarusian and Russian athletes under their countries’ flags.
“In the context of Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in sporting competitions using their flags and anthems is absolutely unacceptable,” the Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism said.
It should be recalled that the International Paralympic Committee has allowed athletes from Belarus and Russia to take part in the Paralympics under their state flags. The decision has already been condemned by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry. European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Culture, Youth and Sport Glenn Micallef has called for a boycott of the opening ceremony.