Shortly before the start of the Milan/Cortina Winter Paralympics, nearly 200 German para-athletes appealed to the federal government to increase funding for elite Paralympic sports in the 2027 federal budget.

The goal must be to finance at least 200 sport development venues and secure them for several years, a statement said on Tuesday.

Four-time para-alpine skiing Paralympics champion Anna-Lena Forster and biathlon Paralympic champion Anja Wicker were among the athletes who signed the declaration.

"Supporting Paralympic athletes is not just an investment in medals, but also in inclusion, visibility, and equal opportunities. Now is the time to act," said Elena Semechin, two-time para-swimming Paralympic champion.

The athletes praised the significant progress that has been made in recent years in promoting individual para-athletes. However, they said that "true equality still fails due to budget constraints."

Around €350 million ($405.87 million) was earmarked for sport in the federal budget for 2026. A large portion of this is allocated to promoting elite sport.

Germany will be represented by around 200 athletes at the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.

The 2026 Winter Paralympics start on Friday and run until March 15.

The conflict escalation in the Middle East is impacting the arrival of some delegations and other stakeholders to the Milan/Cortina Paralympics, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said in a statement on Monday.

The IPC said that "closure of airspace in the Middle East is impacting the arrival of some stakeholders" but that it would not comment on the status of individual delegations or stakeholders at this stage.

It stressed, however, that it's "working diligently" with organizers to find solutions for those affected.

The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday in Verona. However, due to the attacks launched against Iran by the United States and Israel, and Iranian counterattacks, air traffic in large parts of the region has mostly came to a standstill.

The IPC said that it's "closely monitoring" the situation and assessing the available information to determine the impact on the Paralympics.

"We recognize this situation affects not just the National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) competing at the Games but also our wider membership. We think of the impact on people first and our thoughts are with those affected," it said.

The Paralympic Games are scheduled to take place from Friday until March 15.