China once again dazzled the world with a glittering ceremony as the Paralympics opened yesterday in the iconic “Bird’s Nest” with the message that all life has value and dignity.
Just weeks after billions around the globe enjoyed the breathtaking opening to the Olympics, Beijing was once again thrust center stage.
In a nation in which the handicapped have long suffered discrimination, the event was themed “One World, One Dream” and “Transcendence, Integration, Equality.”
PHOTO: AFP
The ceremony started at 8pm after a dramatic countdown. Fireworks rocked the stadium and lit up the night sky as the flag-waving crowd screamed and shouted in anticipation.
Among the dignitaries attending was Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after holding talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, an embassy spokesman said.
More than 4,000 competitors from nearly 150 countries and regions will battle for 472 gold medals in 20 sports at the iconic venues used for last month’s Olympics such as the National Stadium and the Water Cube.
“There are more countries than ever, more sports than ever and more athletes than ever. This is great news for the Paralympic movement,” International Paralympic Committee president Philip Craven said. “They’re going to be tremendous sports events, an incredible opportunity for Paralympians to just show what they can do, how they can perform, how they are very much the equal of their Olympic peers.”
The host nation, which topped the medals table at the 2004 Athens Paralympics with 63 golds ahead of Britain and Canada, is widely expected to dominate again — and even more comprehensively than at last month’s Olympics.
Aside from China’s seemingly inevitable domination of the Games, much attention will focus on South Africa’s double amputee track sensation Oscar Pistorius — dubbed the “Blade Runner” because of the specially adapted carbon fiber blades with which he has won a host of titles.
Carrying the flag at the opening ceremony for South Africa was Natalie du Toit, who finished 16th in the women’s 10km marathon swim in the last month’s Olympics.
Du Toit, who lost her lower left leg in a motor accident, won five golds and one silver in Athens and is looking for another huge haul.
The 20 sports at the 13th Paralympics, which ends on Sept. 17, include athletics, swimming, powerlifting, wheelchair fencing and two versions of soccer — five-a-side and seven-a-side — as well as the lesser-known goalball and boccia.
Although China will pull out all the stops to produce a stunning event, the Paralympics takes place in a country in which the disabled have long suffered discrimination in social, education and employment sectors.
Authorities have made Beijing more friendly for disabled people by, for example, setting up the country’s first fleet of easy-access taxis and making famous tourist spots, such as the Great Wall, accessible to wheelchairs.
And huge efforts have been made to show that China is treating the Paralympics with as much importance as the Olympics, including keeping anti-pollution measures in place.
Like the Olympics, the Paralympics have not been free of scandal and there will again be a focus in Beijing to stamp out any cheating.
But Craven said he was looking forward to a clean Games.
“We have worked very hard over the last four years, both from a testing point of view and also from an education point of view, and we’re very hopeful for good results,” he said.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their