The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games are actually a major international multi-sport parasports event governed by the International Paralympic Committee. Scheduled as the 16th Summer Paralympic Games, they are currently ongoing in Tokyo, Japan between 24 August and 5 September 2021. It will see the introduction of badminton and taekwondo to the Paralympic. It was originally scheduled to take place between 25th of August and 6th of September 2020.
Unfortunately, both the Olympics and Paralympics were postponed to 2021 in March 2020 as a result of none other than the COVID-19 pandemic, and is held largely behind closed doors with no public spectators permitted due to a state of emergency in the Tokyo region. The events are still being branded as Tokyo 2020 for marketing purposes.
These are 10 interesting facts to know about the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games:
1) Tokyo is the first city to host the Paralympic Games for a second time. They first hosted the Games in 1964 while the second-ever Paralympic Games to be held following on from Rome in 1960.
2) There are two mascots for Tokyo 2020, one for the Olympic Games and one for the Paralympic Games. The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games mascot is called SOMEITY with mighty powers and cherry blossom tactile sensors. Both mascots are modeled on aspects of Japanese culture and were designed by Japanese students.
3) A total of 44 hectares of land will be used for the Paralympic Village, with magnificent views over Tokyo Bay. It is located around Harumi Pier in the fast-developing waterfront area of Tokyo, where the Heritage Zone and Tokyo Bay Zone of the Tokyo 2020 concept meet.
4) Known for embracing technological advances, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will be no different. Athletes and spectators arriving in Tokyo will be greeted by robots and there are even robotic baggage assistants and a fleet of driverless cars.
5) The new futuristic National Stadium will have 80,000 seats and host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as Para-athletics competitions. It replaced the old National Stadium which was demolished in December 2014 to make way for the construction of the new stadium which began in October 2015.
6) Even though Tokyo is an old city, the architecture is mostly modern due to events such as earthquakes and wartime bombings destroying many of the original buildings. The climate in Tokyo is considered ‘humid subtropical’. Summers are hot and humid and winter is cool with cold periods and snow in some areas.
7) The current Paralympic motto is ‘Spirit in Motion’. This was introduced at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. The previous motto, introduced in 1994, was ‘Mind, Body, Spirit’.
8) The Paralympic flag has a white background with the Paralympic symbol in the center. The symbol is composed of three crescent shapes colored red, blue, and green. It is a symbol of movement in the shape of an asymmetrical crescent. As with the Olympic flag, the colors chosen are those represented most widely in national flags around the world.
9) For the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the design of the medal features a traditional Japanese fan motif, which depicts the Paralympic Games as the source of a fresh new wind refreshing the world as well as a shared experience connecting diverse hearts and minds. The pivot point, known as kaname in Japanese, holds all parts of the fan together representing the Para athletes bringing people together regardless of nationality or ethnicity. The vitality of people’s hearts symbolizing Japan’s captivating and life-giving natural environment in the form of rocks, flowers, wood, leaves, and water have been depicted by the motifs on the leaves. The surface is created with slight differences in thickness and each natural element is portrayed with varied treatments, giving a unique feel to the touch.
10) The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic medal will also feature “Tokyo 2020” in braille on the obverse side of the medal. A series of circular indentations are also carved on the side of the medals – one for gold, two for silver, three for bronze, making it easier to distinguish the metal types by touch, a provision that has been made available for the first time in Paralympic history for athletes with a vision impairment.
Sources: Paralympics.