VERONA — The Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics started yesterday with an opening ceremony marked by Russian athletes being booed as they paraded behind their national flag for the first time since 2014.

Despite Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has allowed six Russian athletes and four from their allies Belarus to represent their countries, accompanied by their national flags, rather than competing as neutrals.

The move sparked a major backlash with Ukraine, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland all boycotting the ceremony in the historic Verona Arena.

IPC president Andrew Parsons justified the decision by citing the vote taken by the organisation’s General Assembly last September, in favour of Russia and Belarus returning under their flags for the first time since 2014.

With war now also raging in the Middle East, it was the third time in four editions that the Winter Paralympics have opened with a conflict having started in the days preceding the Games.

“Four years ago, I said I was horrified at what was happening in the world,” Parsons said during the opening ceremony.

“Unfortunately, the situation has not changed. In a world where some countries are better known by the names of their leaders, I prefer to know countries by the names of their athletes.”

In the presence of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Italian President Sergio Mattarella, the ceremony started with a drumming performance from Stewart Copeland of The Police.

After a stripped-back performance of the national anthem of Italy, the athletes parade got under way flanked by volunteers.

Most nations boasted no more than two athletes during the parade, while videos were also displayed on stage of some members of certain delegations that were unable to attend due to sporting action in the Games starting at 0830 GMT (4pm Malaysian time) today.

The Russian delegation of four athletes was booed by sections of the spectators, as well as some volunteers in the arena.

The boycotting nations were represented by two volunteers carrying the countries’ flags but no athletes or dignitaries paraded with them.

The sight of the Ukrainian flag was greeted by a long round of applause in the arena.