The Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Paralympic Games began Saturday as fireworks reportedly rocked the stadium and lit up the night sky and the flag-waving crowd of 91,000 screamed and shouted in anticipation.
According to media reports tens of thousands of flashlights formed a stunning backdrop to the show, during which a 12-year-old ballet student who lost her left leg in the Sichuan earthquake earlier this year danced from her wheelchair.
Chinese President Hu Jintao officially declared the 13th Paralympic Games open and the Paralympic flame was lit after gold medallist Hou Bin, in a wheelchair, pulled himself up on a rope to the roof of the stadium.
The Beijing Paralympics has more than 4,000 competitors from nearly 150 countries and regions who will compete for 472 gold medals in 20 sports.
International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Philip Craven said earlier, “there are more countries than ever, more sports than ever, and more athletes than ever. This is great news for the Paralympic movement”.
The 20 sports at the Paralympics, which ends September 17, include athletics, swimming, power lifting, wheelchair fencing and two versions of football – five-a-side and seven-a-side.
China’s motto for the Paralympics, which compares it to the Olympics, is “Two Games with Equal Splendour”
