All the You Need to Know About the Tokyo Paralympics 2020

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The Tokyo Paralympics 2020-21 is a major multisport international parasport event governed by the International Paralympic Games. The Tokyo Paralympics plays a major role in encouraging people with disabilities to showcase their talents in various fields of sports. It also aims to change people’s perception of physical and mental disabilities, hence Tokyo Paralympics is as important as the Tokyo Olympics. Read this blog to know everything about the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics 2020. 

YouTube: Paralympic Games

Latest Updates on Tokyo Paralympics 2020

  • Sumit Antil not only won gold, but he also broke the world record three times in the men’s javelin (F64) event at the Tokyo Paralympics on Monday. Sumit Antil’s world-record effort earned India its second gold medal in the Paralympics in Tokyo, which are now underway.
Courtesy: Paralympic Games
  • Singhraj Adhana won the bronze medal in the P1 Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 final with 216.8 points. Manish Narwal, the other Indian in the competition, ended in seventh place. This is India’s second bronze medal of the competition, bringing the country’s total to eight – two gold, four silver, and two bronze.
Courtesy: ANI News
  • Avani Lekhara created history on 30th August, 2021, Monday by becoming the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal, blasting her way to the top of the podium in the R-2 women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event. The 19-year-old Jaipur native, who suffered spinal cord damage in a car collision in 2012, ended with a world record-equaling total of 249.6, which also set a new Paralympic record.
Courtesy: Prasar Bharati Sports
  • It was a bright start to the day for India on August 26th, 2021, when Bhavinaben Patel booked her berth in the knockout stages of the Paralympics at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020. Bhavina faced Megan Shackleton of Great Britain in a match that she won 3-1.
Courtesy: Paralympic Games
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded the Indian contingent and wished them success in the tournament during the Opening Ceremony. On Tuesday, the Tokyo Paralympic Games began with a ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in the Japanese capital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi rushed to Twitter to wish the Indian team success ahead of the Games, and he also uploaded a video of himself cheering them on while watching the opening ceremony.
  • After Mariyappan Thangavelu was quarantined as a close contact of a Covid positive individual on his trip to Tokyo, javelin thrower Tek Chand was designated the new flagbearer of the Indian contingent for the opening ceremony.
  • On Tuesday, 24th August 2021, the Afghanistan flag was raised at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020. Two Afghan competitors were scheduled to compete at the Paralympic Games until Afghanistan’s National Paralympic Committee (NPC) backed out owing to aircraft cancellations from Kabul. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) previously stated that the flag will be displayed in Tokyo as a symbol of solidarity and peace. IPC President Andrew Parsons stated in the announcement, “We will incorporate the Afghanistan flag in the Ceremony as a gesture of support.”
  • Tokyo 2020 has become the largest Paralympic Games in history, with a record number of competitors competing. Furthermore, more female athletes than ever before will compete in the postponed Games, which commenced on Tuesday, 24th August 2021.  Japan has the most athletes in the Games, with 254, nearly doubling their representation from Rio 2016. There will be a total of 4,403 competitors competing in 22 sports and 23 disciplines (2,550 male/1,853 female). Rio 2016 had the previous record for the most athletes at a Games with 4,328, therefore Tokyo currently holds the record for the most athletes at the Paralympics.

Schedule for Tokyo Paralympics 2020

The Tokyo Paralympics 2020 is scheduled to be held in Tokyo, Japan from 24th August 2021 to 5th September 2021. Interestingly, Tokyo Paralympics 2021 marks the second summer Paralympics to be hosted by Tokyo since the 1964 Paralympics games and the third Paralympics to be held in Japan since the 1998 Winter Paralympics. The schedule for the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 is as follows:

DateFirst Week Events
August 24, 2021Opening ceremony
August 25, 2021Cycling track, Goalball, Swimming, Table tennis, Wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair Fencing, Wheelchair rugby
August 26, 2021Cycling track, Equestrian, Goalball, Powerlifting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Fencing, Wheelchair rugby
August 27, 2021Archery, Athletics, Cycling track, Equestrian, Goalball, Judo, Powerlifting, Rowing, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, Table tennis, Wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair Fencing, Wheelchair rugby, Wheelchair tennis
August 28, 2021Archery, Athletics, Boccia, Cycling track, Equestrian, Goalball, Judo, Powerlifting, Rowing, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, Table tennis, Triathlon, Wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair Fencing, Wheelchair rugby, Wheelchair tennis
August 29, 2021Archery, Athletics, Boccia, Equestrian, Football 5-a-side, Goalball, Judo, Powerlifting, Rowing, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, Table tennis, Triathlon, Wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair Fencing, Wheelchair rugby, Wheelchair tennis
August 30, 2021Archery, Athletics, Boccia, Equestrian, Football, Goalball, Powerlifting, Shooting, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, Table tennis, Wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair tennis
August 31, 2021Archery, Athletics, Boccia, Cycling road, Football, Goalball, Shooting, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, Table tennis, Wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair tennis
September 1, 2021Athletics, Badminton, Boccia, Cycling road, Goalball, Shooting, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, Table tennis, Wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair tennis

Also Read: Meet Deepika Kumari – India’s Shooting-Star

DateSecond Week Events
September 2, 2021Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boccia, Canoe sprint, Cycling road, Football 5-a-side, Goalball, Shooting, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, Table tennis, Taekwondo, Wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair tennis
September 3, 2021Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boccia, Canoe sprint, Cycling road, Goalball, Shooting, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, Table tennis, Taekwondo, Wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair tennis
September 4, 2021Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boccia, Canoe sprint, Football, Shooting, Sitting Volleyball, Taekwondo, Wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair tennis
September 5, 2021Closing ceremony, Athletics, Badminton, Shooting, Sitting volleyball, Wheelchair basketball

Preparations for Tokyo Paralympics 2020

Torch Relay

A torch relay is held before the official beginning of the Olympics and Paralympics. Throughout the torch relay, the flame announces the commencement of the Olympics and Paralympics games as well as spreading the message of peace and friendship between people and the participants. The torch relay ends at the opening ceremony of the Olympics and Paralympics games. 

A person holds a lit Olympic torch, as a half-dozen teammates watch in the background.
Courtesy: The Atlantic

For the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, the torch relay is scheduled to be held between 18th August 2021 to 21st August 2021. The torch relay will be held throughout the four prefectures that will be co-hosting the Paralympics events until the commencement of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympics. 

Security Protocols 

It is expected that the Tokyo Paralympics will be held with no spectators due to the rising cases of Covid-19. The organizing committee has discussed possible alternatives for spectator presence such as local school students. This tactic was also expected during the Tokyo Olympics, however, they were dismissed because of the pandemic. Additionally, the countermeasures that are to be adopted by the participants of the Tokyo Paralympics are as follows :

  • Avoid the 3Cs ( Closed Spaces, Crowded Places, Close Contact)
  • Prevent droplet transmission and contact infection by wearing proper face masks. 
  • Thorough sterilisation and disinfection through frequent hand-washing and sanitation. 
  • Restriction of the spectator participation, instead watches live-streamed transmission. 
  • Thoroughly manage and monitor health conditions and swift reporting of any sickness or positive Covid-19 result. 

Medals

Tokyo paralympics
Source: Twitter

Just like the Tokyo Olympics 2020, the medals of the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 will be made with the help of recycled metals obtained through the electronics recycling program.  The unique features of the medal include :

  • The design of the medal is inspired by traditional folding hand fans which symbolise the shared experience of the Paralympics participants. The alternating sectors contain textured areas which visually and tactually depict rocks, flowers, wood, leaves, and water to symbolise the geology of Japan.
  • Also, in the medal, the area where the pivot meets the fan represents the unity of Paralympic athletes. 
  • The sides of the medal contain an untextured version of the fan pattern, the Paralympic emblem, and inscriptions in braille. 
  • Additionally, To help those with visual impairments, the edges and ribbons of the medals contain one, two, or three circular indentations and silicone convex dots for gold, silver, and bronze medals respectively so that they can be easily identified by touch.

Also Read: Life Lessons We Can Learn From Sports

Sports Events at Tokyo Paralympics 2020

The Tokyo Paralympics 2021 will see the introduction of badminton and taekwondo to the existing events, in place of sailing and 7-a-side football. It is anticipated that 540 events in 22 sports will be held as a part of the Tokyo Paralympics. While team events such as goalball, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair basketball will continue as men’s and women’s events, Wheelchair Rugby is a mixed event. Also, the 5-a-side-football is only open for men participants. 

The sports events are as follows :

  • Archery
  • Athletics
  • Badminton
  • Boccia
  • Cycling 
  • Road 
  • Track
  • Equestrian
  • Football 5-a-side
  • Goalball
  • Judo
  • Paracanoe
  • Paratriathlon
  • Powerlifting
  • Rowing 
  • Shooting
  • Sitting Volleyball
  • Swimming
  • Table Tennis
  • Taekwondo
  • Wheelchair Basketball
  • Wheelchair fencing
  • Wheelchair Rugby
  • Wheelchair Tennis

Must Read: Explore the Smashing Story of PV Sindhu, the Badminton World Champion of India!

Participating Nations

As of 16th August 2021, 135 National Participating Committees (NPC) have qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics. Also, major highlights include :

  • Since Russia has been banned from the games for a period of four years by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on grounds of tampering with their WADA results, WADA has allowed the participation of individually cleared Russian Athletes under the neutral banner of Russian Paralympics Committee (RPC). 
  • Bhutan and Guyana will make their debut in the Tokyo Paralympics 2020. 
  • The Solomon Islands will make their second appearance at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, after missing the 2016 Summer Paralympics. 

There are around 3677 athletes that will be participating from 135 National Participating Committees. 

CountryNo. of Athletes CountryNo. of AthletesCountryNo. of Athletes
Algeria42Grenada1Oman2
Angola2Guatemala2Pakistan1
Argentina37Guinea2Palestine1
Australia177Guyana1Panama3
Austria24Hong Kong17Papua New Guinea1
Azerbaijan12Hungary32Paraguay2
Bahrain2Iceland2Peru4
Belarus11India54Philippines6
Belgium31Indonesia23Poland89
Bermuda1Iran48Portugal33
Bhutan3Iraq5Puerto Rico2
Bosnia and Herzegovina13Ireland29Qatar1
Botswana2Israel33Refugee Paralympic Team6
Brazil253Italy113Romania2
Bulgaria3Ivory Coast3Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC)181
Burundi2Jamaica2Rwanda12
Cambodia1Japan175Saudi Arabia2
Cameroon3Jordan2Senegal1
Canada128Kazakhstan7Serbia17
Cape Verde1Kenya3Singapore7
Central African Republic1Kuwait1Slovakia17
Chile20Latvia4Slovenia4
China230Lebanon1Solomon Islands1
Chinese Taipei10Lesotho1South Africa18
Colombia34Libya1South Korea66
Costa Rica2Lithuania24Spain139
Croatia22Luxembourg1Sri Lanka9
Cuba5Malaysia22Sweden26
Cyprus1Mali2Switzerland9
Czech Republic28Mauritius3Syria1
Denmark22Mexico37Thailand41
Dominican Republic3Moldova4Trinidad and Tobago2
Ecuador4Mongolia4Tunisia26
Egypt30Montenegro1Turkey87
El Salvador2Morocco25Turkmenistan1
Estonia5Mozambique2Uganda3
Ethiopia1Myanmar1Ukraine107
Fiji1Namibia1United Arab Emirates5
Finland10Netherlands48United States174
France61New Zealand45Uzbekistan20
Georgia4Nicaragua1Vanuatu1
Germany135Nigeria9Venezuela8
Ghana2North Macedonia1Vietnam7
Great Britain139Norway10Zambia1
Greece43  Zimbabwe1

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Indian Contingents at Tokyo Paralympics 2020

At the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, 54 Indian Athletes will be competing across 9 sports:

SportMenWomenTotal
Archery415
Athletics20424
Badminton527
Paracanoeing011
Powerlifting112
Shooting8210
Swimming202
Table Tennis022
Taekwondo011
Total401454

Archery

  • Date: 27th August 2021
Men’s Recurve Individual Open Harvinder Singh, Vivek Chikara
Men’s Compound Individual OpenRakesh Kumar, Shyam Sundar Swami
Women’s Compound Individual OpenJyoti Baliyan
Jyoti Baliyan Jyoti Baliyan

Badminton

  • Date: 1st September 2021
Men’s Singles SL3 Pramod Bhagat, Manoj Sarkar
Women’s Singles SU5Palak Kohli
Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5Pramod Bhagat & Palak Kohli
  • Date: 2nd September 2021
Men’s Singles SL4Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj, Tarun Dhillon
Men’s Singles SS6 Krishna Nagar
Women’s Singles SL4Parul Parmar
Women’s Doubles SL3-SU5Parul Parmar & Palak Kohli

Paracanoeing 

  • Date: 2nd September 2021
Women’s VL2Prachi Yadav

Powerlifting

  • Date: 27th August 2021
Men’s 65 Kg Jaideep Deswal
Women’s 50 KgSakina Khatun

Table Tennis

  • Date: 25th August 2021
Individual C3 Sonalben Madhubhai Patel
Individual C4Bhavina Hasmukhbhai Patel

Taekwondo

  • Date: 2nd September 2021
Women’s K44 – 49 kgAruna Tanwar

Shooting

  • Date: 30th August 2021
Men’s R1 – 10 m air rifle standing SH1Swaroop Mahavir Unhalkar, Deepak Saini
Women’s R2 – 10 m air rifle SH1Avani Lekhara
  • Date: 31st August 2021
Men’s P1 – 10 m air pistol SH1Manish Narwal, Deepender Singh, Singhraj
Women’s P2 – 10 m air pistol SH1 Rubina Francis
  • Date: 4th September 2021
Mixed R3 – 10 m air rifle prone SH1Deepak Saini, Sidhartha Babu & Avani Lekhara
  • Date: 2nd September 2021 
Mixed P3 – 25 m pistol SH1Akash & Rahul Jakhar
  • Date: 3rd September 2021 
Men’s R7 – 50 m rifle 3 positions SH1 Deepak Saini
Women’s R8 – 50 m rifle 3 positions SH1Avani Lekhara
  • Date: 4th September 2021 
Mixed P4 – 50 m pistol SH1Akash, Manish Narwal & Singhraj
  • Date: 5th September 2021
Mixed R6 – 50 m rifle prone SH1 Deepak Saini, Avani Lekhara & Sidhartha Babu

Athletics

  • Date: 28th August 2021 
Men’s Javelin Throw F57Ranjeet Bhati
  • Date: 29th August 2021 
Men’s Discus Throw F52 Vinod Kumar
Men’s High Jump T47Nishad Kumar, Ram Pal
  • Date: 30th August 2021
Men’s Discus Throw F56 Yogesh Kathuniya
Men’s Javelin Throw F46Sundar Singh Gurjar, Ajeet Singh, Devendra Jhajharia
Men’s Javelin Throw F64Sumit Antil, Sandeep Choudhary
  • Date: 31st August 2021 
Men’s High Jump T63 Sharad Kumar, Mariyappan Thangavelu, Varun Singh Bhati
Women’s 100m T13Simran
Women’s Shot Put F34Bhagyashri Madavrao Jadhav
  • Date: 1st September 2021
Men’s Club Throw F51Dharambir Nain, Amit Kumar Saroha
  • Date: 2nd September 2021
Men’s Shot Put F35Arvind Malik
  • Date: 3rd September 2021
Men’s High Jump T64 Praveen Kumar
Men’s Javelin Throw F54Tek Chand
Men’s Shot Put F57 Soman Rana
Women’s Club Throw F51Ekta Bhyan, Kashish Lakra
  • Date: 4th September 2021
Men’s Javelin Throw F41Navdeep Singh

Also Read:  Meet Deepa Malik, the Extraordinary Paralympian 

Marketing of Tokyo Paralympics

Tokyo paralympics
Source: paralympic.org

The logo of the Tokyo Paralympic 2021 features a hand fan in a circle form, filled with an indigo-colored checkerboard pattern. The design is meant to symbolize a refined elegance and sophistication that exemplifies Japan. The emblem was uncovered on 25th April 2016. 

Mascot

Tokyo paralympics
Source: Olympics.com

The mascot of the Tokyo Paralympics 2021 is Someity. It is a figure with pink chequered patterns inspired by the Games’ official logo, as well as cherry blossom flowers. It has a calm but powerful ability, it is nature-loving, and it speaks to the wind. 

Animated Short Films

YouTube: Paralympics Games

Japanese public broadcaster NHK produced a series of short films called Animation x Paralympic: Who Is Your Hero? To promote the Tokyo Paralympics 2021. Each short features a different Paralympic sport, and is designed and produced in collaboration with well-known creators of anime and manga, sometimes featuring crossovers with popular series or with real-life athletes.

Must Read: Meet the Historic Indian Men’s Hockey Team

This blog has covered everything that you need to know about the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics 2020. To stay updated about the latest news and blogs, do follow Leverage Edu!

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