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.
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
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