Ukrainians barred from wearing map jerseys at Paralympics

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has banned Ukrainian athletes from competing at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in uniforms featuring a map of Ukraine. According to Valery Suskevich, president of the National Paralympic Committee, the IPC deemed the design political, Ukrayinska Pravda reports.

The map showed Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, without areas under Russian occupation and, he said, carried a strong symbolic message. The design was created by the designer Viktor Anisimov.

Suskevich claims there is pressure within the Paralympic bureaucracy not to present Ukraine as a country without occupied territories, particularly at a time when, in his view, attitudes towards Russia are softening. In the end, the team had to produce new kits at short notice and transport them to Italy.

Six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will compete in the Games under their own flags. Ukraine has decided not to boycott the Games and will send its largest team to date.

(mja)