Dutch officials won’t attend Paralympics opening due to Russia

Dutch Olympic committee officials will not attend any events at the Paralympics in Verona if the Russian or Belarusian flag is shown or if either national anthem is played, the NOC*NSF told news website Nu.nl on Tuesday.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC)’s general assembly confirmed on Monday that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to take part under their own flags, much to the fury of a number of countries, including Ukraine.

The NOC*NSF decision means there will be no officials at the opening ceremony on March 6, chairwoman Anneke van Zanen told broadcaster NOS. “On the one hand there is a practical reason (the Dutch are based in Cortina, three hours from Verona) but it also works out well,” she said.

No Dutch athletes – the Netherlands is sending eight – are expected to attend the opening ceremony either.

The Ukrainian, Polish and Czech delegations have opted for a boycott of the opening ceremony, while Lithuania and Estonia have said they will not send any officials.

Italy, as host of the Games, has also protested to the IPC and EU sports commissioner Glenn Micallef has said he will not attend the ceremony either.

Athletes from Russia and Belarus were banned from Paralympic competition after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and allowed to compete under a neutral flag in 2023.

Russia has been allocated two spots in para alpine skiing, two in cross-country skiing and two in snowboarding, while Belarus received four places, all in cross-country skiing. The Netherlands is taking part in alpine skiing and snowboarding.