Winter Paralympics 2014 kicked off in Sochi, Russia, today in the backdrop of the country's recent military action in Crimea. Russian President Vladimir Putin, opened the event featuring 547 athletes from 45 countries in a lavish ceremony. Putin announced "I declare open the Winter Paralympics Games 2014, Sochi."
However, it seems that the 10-day event will also witness some drama owing to the recent chaos surfacing in Ukraine. Ukraine's Sports Minister Dmitry Bulatov officially announced the decision to boycott the Paralympics on Wednesday.
International Paralympic Committee (IPC) called on Ukraine to not boycott the Games and provide their athletes an opportunity to compete. IPC President Philip Craven reportedly held a meeting with the president of the Ukrainian National Paralympic Committe. Following the meeting IPC officials stated that they hoped Ukraine athletes would stay in the Paralympics, as they trained themselves for four years to participate in Sochi.
IPC media and communications director Craig Spence said "They don't want to get involved in politics. They want to compete. It's what they live for. I don't think that boycotting normally works. They have a decision to make and the IPC will respect that decision."