Paralympics-Italy opposes allowing Russia and Belarus to use flags, anthems

By Giselda Vagnoni

MILAN, Feb 19 (Reuters) – Olympic hosts Italy called on Thursday for a reversal of the decision to let 10 Russian and Belarusian athletes compete with national flags and anthems at next month’s Paralympic Games.

Foreign Minister Antonio  Tajani and Sports Minister Andrea  Abodi urged the International Paralympic Committee to reconsider its stance due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying it contradicted the Olympic spirit.

The Italian government expressed its “absolute opposition” to the IPC’s ruling in September, they said in a statement late on Wednesday, adding that Rome’s stance echoed that of 33 other countries and the European Commission.

“Russia’s continued violation of the truce and Olympic and Paralympic ideals, supported by Belarus, is incompatible with the participation of their athletes in the Games, except as neutral individual athletes,” the statement said.

An IPC spokesman said later the organisation was in talks with the Italian government over the participation of the Russian and Belarusian paralympians.

WINTER PARALYMPICS START ON MARCH 6

Russia’s embassy in Italy said it was unacceptable to target athletes with disabilities. 

“The harsh and undiplomatic stance taken by the two Italian politicians, backed by the authority of the government they represent, is offensive and deserves widespread condemnation,” it said on Telegram.

Russia and its ally Belarus, which was used as a staging area for attacking Ukraine, were banned from Paralympics competitions after the 2022 invasion but regained full rights in the IPC in a vote by members last year. 

International federations for each sport on the Paralympic Games programme had said they would maintain bans on athletes from those countries, but Russia and Belarus won an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport back in December against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation. 

A limited number of Russian and Belarusian athletes are competing as neutral independents without flags or anthems at the ongoing Winter Games with Olympic Committees of both nations still sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee. 

An Italian ministerial source denied a report in newspaper La Repubblica suggesting that Tajani might move to block visas for Russians. “The Italian authorities would not take any action to block visas for athletes or their entourage if their participation was confirmed,” the source said.

Ukraine’s sports minister said on Wednesday Ukrainian officials would boycott the Paralympics over the participation of the Russians and Belarusians, although its athletes would still take part. 

The Winter Paralympics run from March 6- 15. 

(Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; Additional reporting by Ossian Shine; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Alison Williams)