Croatian Athletes at Paralympic Winter Games Deserve Support of Croatian Institutions and not Boycott by Government of the Republic of Croatia
The Head of the Office of the President of the Republic Orsat Miljenić, as delegate of the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović, will attend the opening ceremony of the 14th Paralympic Winter Games in Italy today on behalf of the Republic of Croatia to support the Croatian athletes participating in the Paralympic Winter Games.
The opening ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games will be held in Verona where five Croatian athletes will participate: Dino Sokolović, Lucija Smetiško, Karla Kordić and Petar Kordić in paraskiing, and Bruno Bošnjak in para snowboarding. More than 700 para athletes from about fifty countries are expected to participate in the Paralympic Winter Games.
The President of the Republic considers that Croatian athletes – both Olympians and Paralympians – deserve support of Croatian institutions in major international competitions as they represent and defend the name of the Republic of Croatia in sports arenas. Due to this fact, the President of the Republic feels that the decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia to boycott the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games is unacceptable and harmful for Croatian sports.
Just a week ago, therefore before the beginning of the games, the Government of the Republic of Croatia cited as a reason for the boycott the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus under their national flags. The Government of the Republic of Croatia is very well aware that the International Paralympic Committee had decided already in September 2025 to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate under their national symbols in the Paralympic Winter Games in Italy.
Political pressures that belittle sports – and which, unfortunately, in this case, the Croatian Government has clearly given in to – should have no place at the Olympic or Paralympic Games. In sports competitions, the focus must be on athletes who have put in a lot of effort to qualify for the Paralympic Games.
The President of the Republic extends his support to Croatian athletes and wishes them a lot of success in representing the Croatian flag at the 14th Paralympic Winter Games.
Attending the opening ceremony of the 14th Paralympic Winter Games, alongside the Head of the Office of the President of the Republic was the Commissioner of the President of the Republic for Sports Tomislav Paškvalin.