Milano Cortina: Italy against Russian athletes at Paralympics with flags

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 19 - The Italian government has said it is against the International Paralympic Committee's decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics under their own national flags. Russia and its ally Belarus have largely been banned from international sport since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with individual athletes having to take part in competition as neutrals. "The Italian Government expresses its absolute opposition to the International Paralympic Committee's decision to allow six Russian and four Belarusian athletes to participate in the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics under their national emblems, including their anthem," Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Sports Minister Andrea Abodi said in a statement. "Russia's ongoing violation of the truce and of Olympic and Paralympic ideals, supported by Belarus, is incompatible with the participation of their athletes in the Games, except as neutral individual athletes". Ukraine said its officials will boycott the Paralympic Winter Games, while European Sports Commissioner Glenn Micallef said he would not go to the opening ceremony in Verona on March 6 in protest. (ANSA). Read article...

By ANSA