"The Paralympics , through sport, celebrate the will to live and the courage of people who have faced a thousand obstacles. They are the culmination of the redemption of extraordinary men and women who send us all a powerful message : never give up, because by fighting you can always win ." This was stated by the President of the Veneto Region, Alberto Stefani , a few hours before the opening ceremony of the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina.
"To all the girls and boys who will make the days of competition so special and spectacular," Stefani continues, "I extend my warmest welcome, and that of the Venetian people, who are familiar with and love the highlands. They mean culture, nature, and traditions. Today, for two weeks, their leitmotif will be sport. What could be more beautiful? Best of luck to the 655 athletes who will compete for medals. Three per discipline will wear them around their necks, but for us, they are all true champions, of sport and of life."
But the opening ceremony will be more of a celebration of Paralympic values than a parade of sports champions . "Since many delegations did not send athletes to the ceremony due to the competitions scheduled for the following morning , the IPC, to ensure maximum uniformity, decided that volunteers would carry the flags during the opening ceremony," writes the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), essentially pointing to the "distance from the competition venues" as the genesis of this radical change in schedule.
The March 7th races are certainly a factor in the IPC's decision, but so is the staunch decision by some states to boycott the ceremony as a gesture of harsh protest against the parade of the Russian and Belarusian flags . This is the bone of contention globally , the issue that has generated all the controversy. Tensions are also fueled by the IPC's absolute ban on Ukrainian representatives wearing uniforms featuring the country's map before the outbreak of war.
Iran will also be missing from this evening's Paralympic opening ceremony. Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, the only Iranian athlete announced but doubtful since the outbreak of the war, has not arrived in Italy and has not completed the registration process . The Iranian flag will therefore not be among those parading at the Verona Arena. The number of registered countries has dropped from 57 to 56.
(Unioneonline/vf)