Society

Beijing Paralympics end with closing ceremony

Mar 14 (NHK) - The Beijing Paralympics concluded on Sunday night. The Games were unusual as Russian and Belarusian athletes were not allowed to participate because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The very last event took place at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest.

Flag bearers from each team including Ukraine entered the venue. About 600 athletes competed in 78 events. The International Paralympic Committee had banned Russian and Belarusian athletes the day before the opening ceremony.

The Paralympic flag was passed on to the 2026 joint hosts, Milan and Cortina in Italy.

The head of the IPC gave the closing speech. Andrew Parsons praised the Paralympians as "beacons of hope and champions for peace," saying their "actions spoke way louder than words."

He called for peace by saying "the feeling of hope is part of human experience." He said the Paralympic movement hopes world leaders will be inspired by the actions of "proud Paralympians."

Source: Kyodo

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