Poland and Ukraine Boycott Paralympic Games Opening Over Russian Participation

The International Paralympic Committee's decision to reinstate Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national colors has sparked an international diplomatic scandal. Poland, side by side with Ukraine and a group of other European countries, including the Czech Republic and the Baltic states, has announced it will withdraw from participating in the opening ceremony of the Games in Verona. Polish Paralympic Committee President Łukasz Szeliga emphasized that this is a step agreed upon with partners in Kyiv, aimed at demonstrating opposition to the policy of sports organizations in the face of the ongoing war. The Paralympic Games have long grappled with the dilemma of political neutrality in sport, but since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia and Belarus have been systematically excluded from most events of the four-year cycle or forced to compete under a neutral status. Simultaneously, in Polish winter sports, tensions are rising after the conclusion of the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina. Sports Minister Jakub Rutnicki had to calm the mood following news that the strategic sponsor, Polsat Plus Group, had withdrawn, casting doubt on the payment of prizes for medalists. However, the ministry assured that the state would take on the burden of funding the bonuses, including record amounts for ski jumpers and speed skaters. The situation is exacerbated by the conflict between the Ministry and the Polish Olympic Committee, where President Radosław Piesiewicz is struggling with the outflow of further financial partners. „Początkowo zostawialiśmy tę decyzję zawodnikom, natomiast ja jestem w stałym kontakcie z prezesem Ukraińskiego Komitetu Paralimpijskiego i my będziemy się po prostu starali postępować zbieżnie z nimi, żeby ich w ten sposób wspierać.” (Initially, we left this decision to the athletes, but I am in constant contact with the president of the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee, and we will simply try to act in line with them to support them in this way.) — Łukasz Szeliga Controversy was also sparked by the announcement of the construction of a luge track in Karpacz. The investment, whose cost the ministry estimated at 14-15 million PLN (half of which will be covered by the central budget), was sharply criticized by Zbigniew Boniek. The former president of the Polish Football Association deemed it a waste of funds on a niche discipline, citing false reports about a cost of around 120 million PLN. The sports ministry refutes these allegations, pointing to the need to provide a training base for female athletes who, after a historic sixth-place finish at the Games, complained about the lack of a professional facility in Poland. 7.2 mln zł — will be the government's co-financing for the track in Karpacz In ice hockey, fans' eyes are turned to North America, where Canadian national team captain Sidney Crosby, due to a knee injury sustained in the quarterfinal against the Czech Republic, will be out for at least a month. The absence of the leader was crucial in Canada's final loss to the USA (1:2 in overtime). In Poland, however, success was achieved by silver medalist Władimir Semirunnij, who announced he would donate the trophy to the club display case in Tomaszów Mazowiecki to inspire younger generations of speed skaters.