🎉 The 2024 Paralympic Games begin today!
🇺🇦 Ukraine will proudly compete in 17 disciplines, including para badminton, goalball, para archery, and sitting volleyball. A total of 140 athletes will represent their nation, united by their passion for sports and their unwavering will to win. #Will2Win
💙💛 Yet, this celebration is marked by sorrow. Since the Russian invasion, nearly 500 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have lost their lives, and between 30,000 and 50,000 Ukrainian soldiers have undergone amputations. Despite these immense challenges, Ukraine’s athletes have trained under extreme conditions, demonstrating extraordinary resilience and determination.
🥇 After securing 12 medals at the Olympic Games, we are hopeful for many victories for Ukraine at the Paralympic Games. Parasport, which gained prominence in Ukraine following the Chornobyl disaster, has become a powerful symbol of courage and hope for the nation. Since the 1990s, Ukraine has developed a robust Paralympic program, investing in professional support and tailored resources to help athletes achieve excellence.
🇧🇷 🇯🇵 Ukraine previously won 117 medals in Rio and 98 in Tokyo! We wish them all the success they deserve in this edition. 🥇🥈🥉 #SlavaUkraini
🚨 Meanwhile, 88 Russian athletes and 8 Belarusian athletes have been allowed to participate under a neutral banner, despite some openly violating the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) rules by expressing support for the war in Ukraine and the Russian military. As long as Russian bombs continue to fall on Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian athletes have no place in the Paris Paralympic Games. Stand With Ukraine calls on the IPC to take action and ban athletes who support this criminal regime.
Cover photo: Ukrainian Paralympic Committee website
