5 meaningful highlights from the Tokyo Paralympics opening ceremony

Hot on the trails of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is the Paralympic Games, set to run through the next 11 days with 539 events across 22 sports. It wasn’t easy to get to this point – both athletes and organisers fought tooth and nail to see the Games through after the Covid-19 pandemic led to a year’s delay.

With tonight’s opening ceremony however, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games are finally in motion. It will be the biggest event of its kind the world has ever seen. With Emperor Naruhito attending as an honorary guest to officially open the competition, followed by a series of thoughtfully conceived performances, the opening ceremony reminded us of the importance of the Paralympics as well as the significance behind it. Here are the key takeaways that resonated with audiences tuning in from around the world. 

The parade of athletes saw new countries as well as a show of solidarity

A focal point of every Olympics and Paralympics opening ceremony is the athletes parade, where teams make a grand entrance representing their countries. This year’s Paralympics sees the debut of five countries participating in the Games for the first time: Bhutan, Grenada, the Maldives, Paraguay, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 

With the recent political developments in Afghanistan, the country’s competing athletes were unable to travel to Tokyo. Despite their absence, the Afghan flag was still included in the parade and carried by a Paralympic volunteer in solidarity of the athletes and their country. Meanwhile, Afghan swimmer Abbas Karimi, who has lived in the United States since 2016, led the Refugee Paralympic Team as a flag-bearer. He will be the only Afghan athlete competing in the event this year. 

The opening ceremony encouraged everyone to overcome adversity and take flight 

'Para Airport' was the concept for this year’s Paralympics opening ceremony. It’s a metaphor for finding one’s wings, symbolising both the physical and spiritual journeys the athletes took to reach this point. 

The star of this ensemble was 13-year-old Yui Wago, who performed in a wheelchair while playing the role of a single-winged aeroplane learning to take flight. She is supported by a diverse cast of performing artists with various impairments to celebrate beauty in differences. 

The world debut of WeThe15

You might not have come across this hashtag before, but that’s because it was only launched last week as a collaborative campaign to fight disability discrimination. Founded by several organisations by the likes of the International Paralympic Committee, Unesco and Invictus Games, WeThe15 is the sports world’s biggest ever human rights movement to end discrimination.

There are 1.2 billion disabled people around the world, which equals 15 percent of the global population – hence the name. This worldwide movement seeks to transform their lives by creating a more equal society. The movement’s official hashtag, #WeThe15, was projected across the stadium grounds during the ceremony. It also appeared on the volunteers’ costumes, which were made with the campaign’s official colour purple.  

There were not one but three final torch bearers 

While the Paralympics opening ceremony saw the return of Nendo’s iconic Olympic cauldron, the final portion of the Paralympic torch relay saw not one but three torch bearers approach the podium. The trio included powerlifter Karin Morisaki, wheelchair tennis player Yui Kamiji and boccia player Shunsuke Uchida. Together, they represent unity as they lit the cauldron concurrently with flames carried from different corners of Japan.  

Tokyo 2020 is the most important Paralympic Games yet 

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of the gold medal events and record-breaking victories in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. However, as emphasised by the president of the International Paralympics Committee Andrew Parsons, this isn’t just another sporting event. 

The Paralympics provide a rare opportunity to handicapped minorities, giving them a voice and a global platform to advocate for equal rights as well as reestablish their place in the world. Beyond the competitions and performances, the Paralympics are also about making a true difference for future generations.

More than anything, the Games are here to prove that despite all the setbacks, delays and adversities we’ve had to face in the past weeks, months and years, a brighter and more equal future is always on the horizon. 

Excited for the Games? Stay on top of the Paralympics by streaming the events online for free.

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