Eight sports were under way on the opening day of the Paralympics in Tokyo.
With an action-packed schedule, we have picked out the Mena athletes to keep tabs on.
Goalball
Makuhari Messe Hall
Algeria’s men and Israel’s women kick start their goalball campaigns today, when they take on Japan and Australia.
Swimming
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Full morning and evening sessions in the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
2017 World Championship silver medallist Ayaallah Tewfick from Egypt will be racing in the women’s 50m freestyle S6 class, followed shortly by compatriot Zayed Kahil who will be swimming in the men’s 200m freestyle S5 class.
Also look out for Israel’s Yuliya Gordiychuk, who will be swimming in the women’s 400m freestyle S9 class.
Table tennis
Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium
There are several Mena veterans to look out for on the first day of the group matches.
Khetam Abu Awad of Jordan will be competing in her 6th Paralympics Games. The two-time bronze medallist in the class 5 category will be up against Panwas Sringam of Thailand in her opening match.
Egypt’s Sameh Saleh and Faiza Mahmoud are competing in their 5th and 4th Paralympics Games respectively, Saleh in class 4 men's and Mahmoud in the women's Class 5.
Also from Egypt is perhaps one of the best-known names in the sport, Ibrahim Hamadtou. The 48-year-old will be opening his second Paralympics campaign when he takes on South Korea’s Hong Kyu Park in the men’s class 6. Ibrahim’s compatriot, Ayman Zenaty, will be competing in class 5 against Valentin Baus of Germany.
In class 4 of the women’s game, Jordan’s Faten Elelimat will be competing in her first group game against China’s Xiaodan Gu, while Maryam Almyrisl from Saudi Arabia will serve up against Su Yeon Seo of South Korea.
Look out for 16-year-old Iraqi Najlah Aldayyeni. She will take on Maliak Alieva from the Russian Paralympic Committee in her first match in the 6 class.
Wheelchair Fencing
Makuhari Messe Hall
Iraq’s Ali Amar will be looking to go one better than the silver medal he won in the epee in Rio 2016, in the class B men’s category. The 2015 world champion will have 6 preliminary pool matches with the sabre before the elimination rounds.
