The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games kicked off with a breathtaking opening ceremony, where athletes from around the world paraded along the iconic Champs-Elysees, culminating in a grand celebration at Place de la Concorde.
This marked the first time in the history of the Paralympics that the opening ceremony was held outside a stadium, adding a unique flair to the event in the heart of Paris.
The parade started at the historic Arc de Triomphe, with athletes making their way down the famous Avenue des Champs-Elysees.
As they arrived at Place de la Concorde, they were met with the cheers of thousands of spectators who lined the route and filled the square. Organizers estimated a crowd of 65,000, with many enjoying the parade for free, while the main ceremony was a ticketed open-air event.
As France hosts its first-ever summer Paralympic Games, the event promises 11 days of intense competition. Around 4,400 athletes from a record 168 delegations will compete across 22 sports, with 549 gold medals up for grabs.
This is the first time in eight years that spectators will witness Para sport on such a grand scale.
Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, described the opening ceremony as the start of “the Paralympic revolution,” led by the athletes themselves.
“What makes you revolutionaries is that, when they told you ‘no,’ you continued,” Estanguet remarked, highlighting the determination and resilience of the Paralympic competitors.
The French delegation received a particularly warm welcome as they entered Place de la Concorde to the tune of “Champs-Elysees.” Flagbearers Nantenin Keita and Alexis Hanquinquant led the team, with fans lighting up their phone torches to cheer on the host nation’s athletes.
Meanwhile, the President of the Africa Paralympic Committee (APC), Samson Deen, expressed confidence that African athletes will secure more medals at this year’s Games than in previous editions.
Africa earned 79 medals at the Rio 2016 Games and 63 medals in Tokyo, and Deen believes that the continent’s athletes are poised to surpass these achievements in Paris.
Ghana will begin its quest for gold with Frederick Asor competing in the Men’s B 4000m Individual Pursuit Qualifying.
Patricia Kyerema will also represent Ghana in the Women’s K44 +65kg, facing Greece’s Eleni Papastamatopoulou in the round of 16.
