Paralympics open with message of hope and inclusivity
The 2024 Paralympics opened in Paris on Wednesday in a colourful ceremony, kicking off 11 days of competition in a city still riding the wave of the successful Olympics. French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open during a ceremony in a balmy Place de la Concorde in central Paris. More than 4,400 competitors from 168 delegations paraded into the venue as the sun set, greeting 30,000 spectators across the historic square. The fine weather was in sharp contrast to the heavy rain which fell throughout the Olympics opening ceremony in July. In a symbol of inclusion, a mix of able-bodied and disabled dancers performed on stage. International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons then expressed his hope for an "inclusion revolution", before Macron officially declared the Games open. Eighteen of the 35 Olympic venues - including the Grand Palais and the Stade de France - will be utilised again for the Paralympics, which run until September 8. More than two million of the 2.5 million tickets on sale have been snapped up, with several events sold out. China, which won 96 golds at the last Paralympics in Tokyo, returns with 284 athletes, the most for any delegation. The 126 males and 158 females will compete in 302 events over 19 sports, with 95 being first-time Paralympians. Hong Kong, China hopes to match their five-medal haul in Tokyo with a 23-strong delegation. Badminton star Daniel Chan and table tennis player Wong Ting-ting were the SAR's flag bearers. Ukraine has sent a team of 140 athletes to compete in 17 sports, even as the war against Russian forces rages at home. Around 100 athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete under a neutral banner, but they were barred from the ceremonies. (AP, Reuters, Xinhua)