The UAE delegation participates in the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games "Tokyo 2020"

The national flag flutters in the sky of Japan National Stadium

• During the passage of the UAE mission at the opening ceremony.

  Emirates today

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The Emirati flag flew in the sky of the National Stadium in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, yesterday, and was honored to be carried by our Paralympic hero, Mohammed Al-Qayed, during the opening ceremony of the 16th edition of the Paralympic Games "Tokyo 2020", which will run until September 5, with the participation of 4,400 male and female players, representing 162 countries, competing in 22 games.

The ceremony was attended by Emperor Naruhito of Japan, International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons, and heads of participating delegations, in the complete absence of the audience, given the repercussions of the Corona pandemic (Covid-19), and the state of emergency imposed in the country.

The ceremony, which was held at the National Stadium under the slogan "We have wings", was elegant, similar to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, where the organizers were forced to hold the tournament after it was postponed for a whole year, due to the Corona pandemic.

A few participated in the ceremony, unlike in previous versions, where sports stars and celebrities are keen to attend the opening of the Paralympic Games.

The ceremony, which was witnessed on the Emirati side by the head of the mission Mohammed Al-Hamli, the head of the Asian Paralympic Committee and member of the Emirati delegation, Majid Al-Osaimi, and the Secretary-General of the Union of People of Determination, the director of the mission, Thiban Al-Muhairi, enchanted scenes of bright colors that added beauty to the opening ceremony, along with a heavy fireworks launch. At the National Stadium, then the delegations' queues, and a large number of dazzling singing and dancing shows.

The President of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons, delivered a speech in which he welcomed the participating delegations, and the Japanese flag was raised at the end of the ceremony, marking the start of the Paralympic Games.

The UAE Paralympic Committee granted the honor of carrying the UAE flag and raising it at the opening ceremony to our hero, Mohammed Al-Qayed, for his successive achievements over the course of the successive Paralympic sessions.

The current edition outperforms its previous counterpart, hosted by “Rio de Janeiro 2016”, in the number of participating countries, where the “Rio” version witnessed the participation of 159 countries, while the current version “Tokyo 2020” witnesses the participation of 162 countries, and the London 2012 edition remains the The largest, with the participation of 164 countries.

• Extensive fireworks launch, followed by a review of the queues of the participating delegations, in the absence of the audience.

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