Athletes struggling to get to Paralympics

Iran’s ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel has led to more sporting events being postponed in several countries, while competitions elsewhere have been hit by travel disruption, with thousands of flights cancelled in some of the world’s busiest transit hubs.

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The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said it is working to find solutions after several athletes were finding it difficult to travel to the Milano-Cortina Winter Paralympic Games due to travel disruptions in several Middle Eastern airports.

“The closure of airspace in the Middle East is impacting the arrival of some stakeholders,’ the IPC said on March 3.

“We are working diligently with Milano-Cortina 2026 to find solutions for those affected.”

The president of the Italian Paralympic Committee warned that the situation risked overshadowing a key moment for athletes travelling from around the world to compete in Italy.

“The situation is truly worrying and unfortunate,” Italian Paralympic Committee president Marco Giunio de Sanctis told Reuters.

“The impacts of this war (in the Middle East) could be manifold.”

From a logistical standpoint, most athletes should already have arrived, he said, noting that the first para-curling match is scheduled to take place in Cortina on March 4.