“Let our hearts be one” Asian Para Games begin with participants from 45 countries and regions

The 5th Asian Para Games, a festival of sports for people with disabilities, began in Aichi Prefecture as the main venue, with the opening ceremony held on the 18th at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium (Paloma Mizuho Stadium).

This will be the first time the event will be held in Japan, and nearly 4,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions will participate (451 in total, including 282 athletes from Japan). Until the 24th, heated competitions will be held in 18 sports including boccia, goalball, and para track and field. All venues are in Aichi Prefecture, except for Shizuoka Prefecture, where the cycling competition is held.

The tournament slogan is "IMAGINE ONE HEART." At the opening ceremony, which began at 6 p.m., athletes in wheelchairs and others entered in alphabetical order by country and region, with His Majesty the Emperor and honorary presidents of the tournament, Prince Akishino and Princess Noriko, in attendance. Afghanistan was first, and host country Japan was last. They proceeded on the track waving the national flag.

Majid Rashid, Chairman of the Paralympic Committee of Asia, gave his speech, saying, ``What is important is what will change as a result of hosting the Games.The Games can change the way we look at disability, broaden people's horizons, and remove barriers.Aichi-Nagoya has an opportunity to further advance its legacy.''

The cauldron was made from clay from the ceramic production areas of Seto, Tokoname, and Sanshu in Aichi Prefecture. The final runners of the torch relay are former wheelchair basketball player Katsumi Miyake, former para track and field athlete Maya Nakanishi, and para ski athlete Momoka Muraoka. When the firewood and straw assembled on the cauldron were lit, a flame rose.

Performances and other events at the ceremony were streamed to the smartphones of players and spectators with audio and subtitles. Subtitles and sign language were also displayed on a large screen inside the venue.

The predecessor of the tournament was the Far East and South Pacific Physically Disabled Sports Tournament (commonly known as Fespic), which began in 1975. It was later taken over by the Asian Para Games, and the first competition was held in Guangzhou, China in 2010.

The audience seats during the opening ceremony, which lasted about two hours, were noticeably empty. There were also blocks that were mostly unfilled.

The organizing committee announced on the 16th that the ticket sales rate for the opening ceremony was between 60% and 80%.

Empty seats were also noticeable at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games (September 19-October 4), which was held at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium, the same venue as the Asian Para Games.