Fifth edition of Asian Para Games opens in Aichi-Nagoya with nearly 3,000 athletes taking part

The fifth Asian Para Games officially opened in Aichi, Japan, on Sunday, bringing together nearly 3,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions for a week of competition under the slogan "Imagine One Heart."

The continental gathering, scheduled for October 18-24, will feature 18 sports and approximately 500 medal events. The opening ceremony took place at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.

Athletes made their way into the stadium through a handcrafted tree installation symbolizing connection and unity. The ceremony highlighted diversity and inclusion through performances celebrating Japanese culture and the spirit of para sports.

China's delegation entered the stadium led by flagbearers Li Yujie, a para taekwondo athlete, and Yan Panpan, a para powerlifter.

China has sent 312 athletes as part of a 500-member delegation, its largest-ever competing contingent at an overseas Asian Para Games. With an average age of 28.8, the Chinese entrants will participate in 335 events across 17 sports. The delegation includes athletes from diverse professional backgrounds, including workers, students, office employees and freelancers.

Hideaki Ohmura, head of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and Asian Para Games Organizing Committee, emphasized the importance of para sports in promoting mutual understanding and building a more inclusive society.

"I believe the significance of para sports lies not merely in winning competitions, but in fostering awareness and understanding of diversity, and in contributing to the realization of an inclusive society where everyone recognizes and supports one another as we live together," Ohmura said.

Asian Paralympic Committee chief Majid Rashed praised the athletes for their dedication, determination and courage, stressing the power of sports to inspire unity.

"Sport brings people together when the world can sometimes pull them apart. Here, our differences do not divide us. They make us stronger," Rashed said.

The ceremony concluded with the lighting of the Asian Para Games cauldron following the final stage of the torch relay, featuring seven para sports participants from summer and winter disciplines.

China entered the fifth edition seeking to extend its dominance after topping the medal table at all four previous stagings. That includes the Hangzhou Asian Para Games three years ago, which saw the hosting delegation claim 214 gold, 167 silver and 140 bronze medals.