AngloPress: --- The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games kick off tonight with an opening ceremony starting at 8 p.m. local time. This year’s Games will feature 4,400 athletes from 184 delegations competing in 22 sports, including two unique to the Paralympics: goalball and boccia.
Here are some of the most anticipated events:
Wheelchair Rugby, Also Known as "Murderball"
Wheelchair rugby is a high-impact sport combining elements of basketball, handball, and rugby. Known for its intensity, the game often sees players puncturing each other's wheelchair tires and flipping wheelchairs over. Athletes participating in this sport have impairments in all four limbs.
Preliminary rounds will take place on Aug. 29, 30, and 31. The full schedule is available on the Paralympics website.
Blind Football
Blind football is an adapted version of soccer for athletes with visual impairments. The ball contains a bell, allowing players to use their hearing to locate it. Each team consists of four outfielders and a goalkeeper. Brazil has dominated the sport since its Paralympic debut in 2004, winning every gold medal.
Preliminary matches start on Sept. 1. More details are available on the Paralympics website.
Para Athletics
Para athletics includes track and field events adapted for Paralympic athletes. Notable athletes include Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner, a five-time world champion in the women’s 400-meter T53 wheelchair race, and Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira, who holds the world record for the fastest 100-meter sprint by a para-athlete.
The first events begin on Aug. 30. Find more information on the Paralympics website.
Goalball
Goalball, unique to the Paralympics, is designed for athletes with visual impairments. Teams compete by rolling a ball with a bell inside into their opponent’s net while the opposing team tries to block it. The game is played in complete silence to allow players to hear the ball.
Men’s and women’s Goalball tournaments start on Aug. 29 and run through Sept. 5. More details are available on the Paralympics website.
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Boccia
Boccia, another Paralympics-exclusive sport, is growing rapidly within the movement. It’s played by athletes in wheelchairs with motor function disabilities like cerebral palsy. The goal is to roll, throw, or kick colored balls as close as possible to a white ball called "the jack." Precision is key, and calipers are used to measure distances between balls.
Boccia events will be held from Aug. 29 to Sept. 5. Visit the Paralympics website for more information.
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