China once again dazzled the world yesterday with a glittering ceremony as the Paralympics opened in the iconic Bird's Nest Stadium with the message that all life has value and dignity. Just weeks after billions around the globe enjoyed the breathtaking opening to the Olympics, Beijing was once again thrust centre stage. In a nation in which the handicapped have long suffered discrimination, the event was themed "One world, one dream" and "Transcendence, integration, equality".
Fireworks rocked the stadium and lit up the night sky as the flag-waving crowd screamed and shouted in anticipation. Among the dignitaries attending was Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after holding talks with Chinese president Hu Jintao. More than 4,000 competitors from nearly 150 countries and regions will battle for 472 gold medals in 20 sports at the iconic venues used for last month's Olympics such as the Bird's Nest National Stadium and the Water Cube. They include six athletes from the UAE, who are Ali Qambar Ali al Ansari, Thuraya al Zaabi, Ibrahim Salim Banihammad (all athletics), Abdullah al Aryabi (shooting), Mohammad bi Dabbas al Mehairi (discus) and Khalaf (powerlifting).
When Natalie du Toit led the South African team into the National Stadium, she became the first person to carry a country's flag at the opening ceremony of both the Olympics and Paralympics. The 24-year-old amputee swimmer, who lost her lower left leg in a motorcycle accident in 2001, competed in the 10-kilometre open-water swim at the Beijing Olympics last month, finishing 22nd. She is aiming for five golds in the pool, the same as she won in Athens 2004.
"There are more countries than ever, more sports than ever and more athletes than ever. This is great news for the Paralympic movement," said International Paralympic Committee president Philip Craven. "They're going to be tremendous sports events, an incredible opportunity for Paralympians to just show what they can do, how they can perform, how they are very much the equal of their Olympic peers."
The host nation, who topped the medals table at the 2004 Athens Paralympics with 63 golds ahead of Britain and Canada, are widely expected to dominate again - and even more comprehensively than at last month's Olympics. The 20 sports at the 13th Paralympics, which ends on Sept 17, include athletics, swimming, powerlifting, wheelchair fencing and two versions of football - five-a-side and seven-a-side - as well as the lesser-known goalball and boccia.
China's motto for the Paralympics, comparing it with the Olympics, is: "Two Games with Equal Splendour." Although China will pull out all the stops to produce a stunning event, the Paralympics takes place in a country in which the disabled have long suffered discrimination in social, education and employment sectors. Authorities have made Beijing more friendly for disabled people by, for example, setting up the country's first fleet of easy-access taxis and making famous tourist spots such as the Great Wall accessible to wheelchairs.
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