Paralympic Torch Relay Completed in Tokyo Hours Before Games Opening

The closing ceremony for the Paralympic torch relay was completed in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park on 24 August, a few hours ahead of the official opening of the Paralympic Games.

The final leg of the torch relay started on Tuesday morning, and was broadcast life by the Tokyo administration’s official broadcaster.

After touring through the country, the flames from each of Japan’s prefectures were brought together in the Japanese capital last week to light the official Paralympic flame, along with the Heritage flame in the UK village of Stoke Mandeville, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement.

The Tokyo Paralympics, originally scheduled to take place in 2020, were postponed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The sporting event is now set to run from 24 August to 5 September.

A total of 162 delegations, including the Refugee Paralympic Team, previously known as Independent Paralympic Athletes Team, will compete in the Games, with five teams making their debut at the sporting event.