The German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) rejects a boycott of the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games because of the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.
“We will focus on the sporting competitions,” said DBS President Hans-Jörg Michels. “I personally don’t believe in a boycott. We’ve seen in the past that it basically doesn’t do anything for the sport.” The Paralympic Games will take place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo from March 6th to 15th.
Michels succeeded long-time President Friedhelm Julius Beucher last summer. Despite the positioning against a boycott, the association’s position is clear.
We condemn the war of aggression, have spoken out clearly against the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus and stand in solidarity with Ukraine.
Six Russian and four Belarusian athletes there
Six Russian and four Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete in the games via wildcard. After the General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) lifted the suspension of the two countries at the end of September, athletes are again allowed to compete under their own flag and display national emblems. If successful, the respective anthem would also be played.
Ukraine, Czech Republic, Finland and others are boycotting
Ukraine will boycott the opening ceremony at the Verona Amphitheater for this reason. They were joined by the Czech Republic and Russia’s neighboring countries Finland, Poland, Estonia and Latvia. The IPC shows understanding, but pointed out the vote: “We understand that many countries are unhappy with this decision, but it was made as part of a very democratic process.”
Michels: Return of the Russian flag “hardly bearable”
For the DBS, the return of the Russian flag to the big sports stage is “very difficult to understand and hardly bearable,” said Michels. “Unfortunately, we have to accept the decision, even though it contradicts our basic moral and ethical stance. From our point of view, this is unreasonable, especially for the participants from Ukraine.”
If there is no change in the participation of Russia and Belarus, a protest action as part of the Winter Paralympics would be “in principle possible,” said Michels: “But there will be no initiative from the DBS.”
