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German Paralympics team boycotts athletes’ parade in Verona
03/03/2026 – 9:43 p.mReading time: 1 min.
In protest, the German para team decided not to take part in the athletes’ parade at the Paralympics opening ceremony. The reason for this is causing international debate.
The German para team has decided not to take part in the athletes’ parade at the opening ceremony of the Paralympics in Verona. The German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) emphasized three days before the start of the event: “This decision serves both to concentrate on the upcoming competitions and to respectfully express the solidarity attitude towards the Ukrainian delegation.”
State Minister for Sport and Volunteering, Christiane Schenderlein, joined the protest and declared that she also did not want to take part in the opening ceremony. Schenderlein expressed concerns about the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to fly under their national flag.
The DBS criticized this decision and stressed the importance of living the Paralympic values and protecting the integrity of the sport. The association explained: “Especially in challenging times, it remains our common task to visibly live the Paralympic values and resolutely protect the integrity of the sport.”
Ukraine and Estonia had previously announced that they would completely stay away from the opening ceremony in protest. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called on all countries and national Paralympic committees to boycott the opening ceremony.
The lifting of sanctions by the IPC allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags again. This decision has sparked criticism around the world, which is also shared by State Minister Schenderlein.
