- Category
- Latest news
Ukrainian Paralympic Committee Accuses IPC of Systematic Pressure on Athletes and Coaches
- Authors
![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
The National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine has reported systematic pressure on athletes and coaches by representatives of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Organizing Committee of the Games
For instance, according to the committee on March 11, the family of Paralympic champion Taras Rad, who came to support him, had their flags and national scarves taken away.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
The committee explained that they had tried to avoid “radical reactions to these manifestations of pressure, hoping that they were incidental and not biased against the Ukrainian team.” However, recent events, according to the committee, have shown that these actions are systematic and “have taken on a critical and disgraceful nature towards both the team and its members.”
“For 30 years, the Ukrainian Paralympic team has participated in every Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. [...] But never before has our team and its leadership faced such openly negative actions and even obstacles against Ukrainians as representatives of the national Paralympic committee, which is one of the leaders in developing the Paralympic movement and in terms of results in Paralympic sports,” the statement reads.
The National Paralympic Committee provided several examples. Another incident involved a representative of the Organizing Committee who forced the team to remove a flag from the building where the team was staying, even though the flag had initially been allowed by both the Organizing Committee and IPC. Ultimately, the flag was allowed to be placed in a location “where it was less visible.”
-0b49c2d4c6b409469842c06bdd1222e6.jpg)
Additionally, the committee reported that representatives from the Organizing Committee and the IPC are “pressuring” the Ukrainian team with daily 10-15 minute meetings in the common area of the building, where they discuss the previous day’s results and set plans for the next day. The organizers deem such brief meetings unacceptable.
The International Paralympic Committee’s restrictive stance on the Ukrainian delegation has extended beyond symbolic attire to the team's daily operations. Days before the start of the 2026 Winter Paralympics, the International Paralympic Committee banned the Ukrainian national team from wearing their planned ceremonial uniforms, which featured a map of Ukraine's internationally recognized borders. The IPC deemed the uniforms unacceptable.
In an interview with Ukrinform, Valeriy Sushkevych, President of the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine, revealed that the team was forced to change their attire ahead of the Games.
“The International Paralympic Committee said: ‘No, no, no – that won't work!’” Sushkevych explained. “They claimed the uniform was political and stated that no one would be allowed to march in it. It was a beautiful design, very symbolic, and it ‘screamed’ that Ukraine exists in the world, in Europe, with all its territories free from Russian occupation.”
In response to BBC News Ukraine, the IPC defended its decision by referring to its strict neutrality guidelines, which prohibit political statements on uniforms.
“According to IPC rules regarding uniforms for the Paralympic Games, public or political messages, as well as slogans related to national identity, are prohibited,” the committee clarified.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian para-biathlete Oleksandra Kononova has received a warning from the International Paralympic Committee for wearing earrings adorned with the slogan “Stop War” during her competition.
-7f54d6f9a1e9b10de9b3e7ee663a18d9.png)
-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
-ef906d8c7daeee38b707ac8966246a92.jpg "Louis Vuitton Collaborates With Ukrainian Artist Nazar Strelyaiev-Nazarko on New Fashion Line")