5th Asian Para Games Open in Nagoya, Japan

Nagoya, October 19 (Daily Kiran) : The 5th Asian Para Games officially commenced in Nagoya, Japan, on the evening of October 18. The opening ceremony began at 6 PM, with delegations entering the stadium one by one.

Among the participants, the Chinese delegation made a notable entrance, led by Paralympic taekwondo athlete Li Yuchue and weightlifter Yan Fanfan, who carried their national flag. The Chinese team consists of 500 members, including 312 athletes from 13 different ethnic backgrounds, with an average age of 28.8 years. These athletes come from various walks of life, including workers, students, office employees, and freelancers.

This year, the Chinese delegation is competing in 335 events across 17 sports. This marks China’s fifth participation in the Asian Para Games, making it the largest foreign delegation to date. The opening ceremony featured speeches from Hideki Omura, president of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and Asian Para Games organizing committee, and Majid Rashid, president of the Asian Paralympic Committee.

During the ceremony, symbols and images representing the various sports of the Asian Para Games were displayed at the center of the stadium. The Games include 18 sports, such as athletics, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair fencing, blind football, wheelchair basketball, and sitting volleyball, with nearly 500 competitions scheduled. According to figures released at a press conference on October 17, approximately 3,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions are participating.