Paralympic Winter Games: the opening ceremony took place in the shadow of war - The Games without Russia and Belarus

Ukrainian athletes received a warm welcome on a cold night in Beijing today at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games.

Of course, Russian and Belarusian athletes were absent from the ceremony, who were excluded yesterday due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) chief Andrew Parsons called for peace during a ceremony at Beijing’s National Stadium, also known as the “Bird’s Nest,” attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“I want to start tonight with a message of peace. As the leader of an organization at its core, where diversity is celebrated and differences are accepted, I am terrified of what is happening in the world right now.

The 21st century is a time for dialogue and diplomacy, not for war and hatred. At IPC we aspire to a better and inclusive world, free from discrimination, free from hate, free from ignorance and free from conflict.

Here in Beijing, Paralympic athletes from 46 different nations will compete against each other, not each other. “Through sport, they will highlight the best face of humanity and the values ​​that must underpin a peaceful and inclusive world,” said Parsons.

The Chinese prepared an impressive show for the opening ceremony with an artistic “touch”

The ceremony began with a group of disabled musicians from all over China making everyone tremble with their sounds. It also featured a number of performers with disabilities and ended with a dazzling fireworks display and lighting of the flame by visually impaired former Paralympian Lee Duan.

The XIII Paralympic Winter Games mascot “Shuey Rhon Rhon”, representing friendship, courage and strength, then skated into the stadium, and the entire stadium was transformed into a snow and ice stadium. True to the motto “Together for a common future”, the athletes entered the stadium, while “Welcome” was displayed in Chinese and English. It was a great moment for the representatives of three countries who made their dream debut in Beijing: Azerbaijan, Israel and Puerto Rico.

Two opening ceremonies of the Paralympic Games in a few months in the “Bird’s Nest”

With the lighting of the Paralympic flame, Beijing also became the first city in the world to host the Paralympic Summer and Winter Games. The National Stadium, the Bird’s Nest, also wrote a new chapter in the history books by becoming the only sports facility in the world to host the opening ceremonies of the Summer and Winter Paralympics.

A total of 564 athletes will compete in 78 medal races at the Games, which end on March 13.

Among them are two Greek athletes, Eva Nikou in alpine skiing with her partner and athlete, Dimitris Profentzas, and Konstantinos Petrakis in snowboarding.

source: iefi merida