Poland’s government and national Paralympic body will boycott the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympic Games in Italy in protest at a decision allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags.
The move, confirmed Thursday by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism and the Polish Paralympic Committee, deepens a political and moral dispute overshadowing the Games, which open March 6 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo and run through March 15.
Officials said the boycott is a direct response to the International Paralympic Committee’s decision this week to admit 10 athletes — six from Russia and four from Belarus — to the XIV Winter Paralympic Games with full use of their state symbols, including flags and anthems. Until now, Russians and Belarusians competing at ongoing winter sports events have done so only under neutral flags, with their medal totals kept separate from national tables.
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In a statement, the Ministry of Sport and Tourism said its representatives “will not take part in the opening ceremony” following the ruling in Bonn, calling the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes “absolutely unacceptable” in the planned form. The ministry cited Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and support from the Belarusian regime in Minsk as the key reasons for hardening Warsaw’s stance.
Deputy Sports Minister Piotr Borys said in an interview that the Polish Paralympic Committee has now formally joined the government’s boycott of the ceremony. He stressed that Polish Paralympians “fully stand in solidarity with Ukraine” and reject the International Paralympic Committee’s decision.
Borys added that both the ministry and the Polish Paralympic Committee are weighing Ukrainian appeals for a complete withdrawal of Polish athletes from the Games, not just from the opening parade, but said no final decision has been taken. “We are still analyzing these calls,” he said, indicating that officials are balancing pressure from Kyiv with the interests and years-long preparation of Polish athletes.
The head of the Polish Paralympic Committee, Łukasz Szeliga, has been among the most outspoken critics of the ruling, describing it as “very scandalous” in comments to Polsat News. Szeliga alleged that Russian lobbying played a decisive role, claiming officials sought support among less affluent national committees to swing votes in favor of restoring full status to Russian and Belarusian teams.
Szeliga also warned that Russian and Belarusian athletes had been effectively removed from international anti-doping scrutiny during years of competition bans. That, he suggested, raised additional questions of fairness and athlete safety ahead of their return to elite events.
The controversy follows a decision made in September in Seoul, when the International Paralympic Committee voted to lift the partial suspension imposed on Russia and Belarus after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and to restore both national Paralympic bodies as full members. That ruling opened the door to broader participation and a gradual return of state symbols that many European governments, including Poland’s, had sought to keep out of global sport.
Thirteen athletes are set to represent Poland at the Winter Paralympics. The nation’s flagbearers in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo will be para cross-country skier Aneta Kobryń, guided by Bartłomiej Puto, and para alpine skier Michał Gołaś, guided by Kacper Walas.
Poland has won 45 medals at Winter Paralympic Games to date, most recently in 2018 in Pyeongchang, where sit-skier Igor Sikorski claimed bronze in the giant slalom. The team hopes to add to that tally in Italy even as political tensions swirl around the event.
For now, Polish officials are trying to send what they say is a clear signal without immediately depriving their own athletes of a once-in-a-lifetime chance to compete on the world stage. Skipping the opening ceremony is intended as a visible act of protest inside the Paralympic movement while leaving open the question of a broader boycott if the political and security situation worsens or if pressure from Ukraine intensifies.
The dispute in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo underscores how Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to reshape global sports nearly four years after the invasion began. As Polish officials press their allies to maintain a hard line, the International Paralympic Committee faces growing scrutiny over its attempt to balance calls for political accountability with its mandate to keep sport open to athletes regardless of nationality.
