The 2024 Paris Paralympics started with a bang in a colorful and festive opening ceremony on early Thursday, August 29 (Philippine time). French President Emmanuel Macron declared the games open at Place de la Concorde in Central Paris, making it the first time a Paralympic ceremony had taken place away from the main stadium.

The 4,400 athletes from 168 delegations paraded into the arena as the sunset. France’s team entered last to a standing ovation from 30,000 onlookers. The ceremony started with a parade along the Avenue des Champs-Elysees from the iconic Arc de Triomphe.

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The 2024 Paris Paralympics will last 11 days and include 22 scheduled sports. Athletes will compete for a total of 549 gold medals.

Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, said the opening ceremony marked the “Paralympic revolution.”

“What makes you revolutionaries is that when they told you ‘no,’ you continued,” Estanguet said. “Tonight, you are inviting us to change our perspectives, change our attitudes, change our society to finally give every person their full place.

“Every emotion that you make us feel will carry a message that will never be forgotten: You have no limits, so let us stop imposing limits on you,” he added.

Ernie Gawilan and Agustina Bantiloc were named as the flag bearers of Team Philippines in the Paralympics opening ceremony.

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Other athletes in the games include:

• Cendy Asusano – women’s para athletics javelin throw F54
• Agustina Bantiloc – women’s para archery individual compound
• Allain Ganapin – men’s para taekwondo K44 – 80kg
• Ernie Gawilan – men’s para-swimming (400m freestyle S7, 200m individual medley SM7)
• Jerrold Mangliwan – men’s para athletics wheelchair racing (men’s 100m T52, men’s 400m T52)
• Angel Otom – women’s para-swimming (50m backstroke S5, 50m butterfly S5)

Like the successful Paris Olympics, the Philippines hopes to add another medal. Currently, the country holds two bronze medals from previous Paralympics games from powerlifter Adeline Dumapong in 2000 and table tennis player Josephine Medina in 2016.

Sources: (1), (2), (3)

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