The Winter Paralympic Games, which are taking place against the backdrop of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, have begun in Beijing. Russian and Belarusian athletes are prohibited from participating in the competition.
This was reported by Deutsche Welle.
The opening ceremony took place on 4th March in the evening at Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It was opened by the event's director Zhang Yimou. He performed in the same capacity at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
During the opening ceremony, which was attended by President Xi Jinping, president of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons, delivered an emotional speech. He called for peace and sportsmanship.
"I am appalled by what is happening in the world now. The 21st century is a time for dialogue and diplomacy, not war and hatred," Parsons said. He also stressed the need to adhere to the Olympic truce.
After his speech, Xi Jinping declared the Beijing Paralympics open. The Winter Paralympics will last until March 13. Athletes compete for 78 sets of medals in six sports.
The Ukrainian national team called for peace under the slogan "No to war! Peace to Ukraine!". The event video was posted on Facebook by Valery Sushkevych, the president of the National Committee for Sports for the Disabled.
The Olympic truce is a Greek tradition that emerged in the 8th century BC. It was declared that the host country would not be attacked and that athletes and spectators could travel safely to the games and return peacefully to their home countries.
In 1992, the International Olympic Committee revived this tradition, urging all countries to adhere to a truce during modern Olympics.
It was earlier reported that after the military invasion of Ukraine, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) forbade Russia and Belarus from participating in team tennis competitions. The International Football Federation and UEFA have excluded Russia from all international competitions at the level of both national teams and clubs.
The International Ice Hockey Federation also condemned the military aggression against Ukraine and suspended the national teams of the Russian Federation and Belarus from participating in matches indefinitely.
The International Floorball Federation (IFF) has suspended the National Floorball Federation of Russia and the Floorball Federation of Belarus from any international activity indefinitely.