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Tokyo Paralympics Opening Ceremony Live Updates: Indian Team Completes Parade of Athletes
Tokyo Paralympics 2021: Follow the live updates from the opening ceremony, which begins at 4.30PM IST.
The Paralympics Games 2020 are all set to open in Tokyo on Tuesday with the opening caremony under the coronavirus rules. The Tokyo Paralympics opening ceremony will have only 75 people performing and the stadium will be largely empty barring a few hundred officials. The world’s biggest parasports event once again returns to Japan 57 years after hosting the 1964 edition and just like the recently concluded Olympics, the mega event will be held behind closed doors.
The quad-annual Para games will see the participation of close to 4,403 athletes who will compete in 22 sports, 539 medal events across 21 venues. India is among the participating nations and the Indian Para athletes will look to make the country proud yet again. The Indian contingent is nearly thrice as large as that of Rio 2016, as 54 athletes will compete for glory in numerous sports disciplines at the mega sporting event.
However, only five athletes from the country will participate in the opening ceremony that include high jumper and flag bearer Tek Chand, discus thrower Vinod Kumar and powerlifters Jaideep and Sakina Khatun. Notably, two-time Paralympic gold-medallist Devendra Jhajharia will also participate in the Games, among others.
Egypt make their way out for the parade. Egypt is the most successful African nation at the Paralympic Games after South Africa. They have won at least one gold at the Games since 1976.
The Indian athletes make their way for the parade with flagbearer Tek Chand.
They are followed by Indonesia.
Italy come on the ground for their parade and they are followed by Iraq.
Argentina is the next team in for the parade of athletes and they are followed by Aruba, who are making only their second appearance at the Games.
Just two athletes from Afghanistan have been able to make the Games. Following them came the United Arab Emirates, who put up a good show at Rio Paralympics.
The next two countries to wave their flags are Ireland and Azerbaijan.
The first team to make the ground is the Refugee Paralympic Team and it is followed by Israel.
We take a look at all the sports that will be playing during the Paralympic Games.
The tone of the opening ceremony so far has been one of reflection given the circumstances the world has been through in the past year and a half.
The Japanese flag is raised on the pole and the national anthem is sung.
The Tokyo Paralympic Games opening ceremony begins with a lively dance after which the dignatiries make their way to the ground. The Japanese flag is being taken by its athletes towards the stage.
54 Indian athletes will compete across nine sports. Indian para-athletes will participate in archery,para canoeing, athletics, shooting, table tennis, swimming, badminton, powerlifting and taekwondo. Last edition’s gold medallist, high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu was supposed to be the flag bearer but he is now quarantine after a person close to his flight seat tested positive.
The opening ceremony will take place on Tuesday, August 24, at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo at 4:30 pm IST (8:00pm local time). The live streaming of the ceremony will be on Discovery Plus app.
Tokyo Paralympics opening ceremony will take place at 4.30 PM IST. (AP Photo)
