Paralympics: Why you shouldn’t miss Team GB’s Tokyo takeover!
Following Team GB\’s Olympic athletes\’ success at the Olympic games, their elite cohort of athletes aspires to mirror our achievements at Tokyo 2020\’s Paralympics.
Under the spotlight, Team GB\’s hopes for gold shine brightly ahead of the 16th Summer Paralympics.
Will Tokyo 2020\’s Paralympics opening ceremony be the best yet?
Tokyo 2020\’s opening ceremony is underway!
Highly decorated elite swimmer Ellie Simmonds (OBE), 26, and visionary archer John Stubbs, 56, the oldest member of Team GB and the first archer to represent Britain as a flag bearer.
The world awaits a beautiful opening day embellished with a wealth of dancers, firework displays, and an unprecedented number of strobing lights.
They are catering to a crowd upward of 4500 Paralympians from over 160 different countries (the highest recorded maximum number of athletes and women participating to date).
On the topic of breaking records
The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics is set to eclipse and exceed the 4.1 billion total viewership number reached at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, given the quantity of broadcasters involved.
Expect two weeks of twists and turns over 21 distinct venues between August 24th and September 5th.
Don\’t just take my word for it; here\’s an anecdotal thought postured by Ellie Simmonds:-
\”This is going to be my fourth Games\’ and my first opening ceremony. To be here in Tokyo is amazing, but to carry the flag is the icing on the cake, and I can\’t wait for the competition to start.\”
Can unity win over division?
The ceremony aims to uphold the official game\’s motto, \’united by emotion\’, which means to bridge the divide between athletes, volunteers, and tv viewers.
In unison, we can overcome the adversity faced by the Covid-19 pandemic and replace any negativity with hope and celebration.
Echoing this sentiment, the Olympic committee staged for Tokyo 2020 has announced their Paralympic mascot, Someity.
The name derives from the Japanese cherry blossom variant Someiyoshino, which sounds like the British phrase \”so mighty\” referencing competing athletes.
Introducing Sports For Champions very own Paralympic athlete
Our team at Sports For Champions will proudly watch our ambassador, Ayaz Bhuta, take center stage for his second Paralympics, representing GB in the Wheelchair Rugby event.
In cooperation with Sports For Champions, Ayaz regularly delivers inspirational sports workshops during his athlete visit to schools.
Fun fact:
\’Murderball\’ is a common name for Wheelchair Rugby. This name describes the athletes\’ propensity to knock into each other\’s chairs with intent.
His inaugural match against Canada commences on Wednesday, August 25th, at the Yoyogi National Stadium.
In the two days following his initial game duties, Ayaz plays against New Zealand and the USA.
To witness Ayaz in action, tune in tomorrow at 9:30 am BST on Channel 4 or More 4 for extended coverage.
Tokyo 2020 is back with a bang.
United by emotion, Great Britain will fervently support our 220 athletes competing in Athletics, Cycling, Powerlifting, and equestrian.
Team GB project that Great Britain will accrue between 100 – 140 medals in totality.
Coinciding with Tokyo\’s second stint at hosting the Paralympics since 1964, Tokyo will welcome the inclusion of Badminton and Taekwondo.
These are the British athletes to watch
Will Bayley was ruled out of the table tennis events at Tokyo 2020\’s Paralympics after tearing his cruciate ligament on Strictly Come Dancing.
Fortunately, his recovery period coincided with the 12-month postponing of the Olympics and Paralympics.
With renewed participation, Will hopes to claim another gold medal to complement his win at Rio back in 2016.
Looking to also garner success, Amy Truesdale is seeking to become the first Paralympic Taekwondo gold medalist.
Having won Taekwondo world titles in 2014 and 2017, Amy\’s in good stead to add to the GB medals.
Finally, six-time gold medalist athletics maestro David Weir is amongst the talented athletes representing GB in Tokyo.
At the eligible age of 42, David shows no sign of slowing down in his bid to attain another gold medal.
Having missed out on a medal in Rio 2016, David set his new personal best in the 1500m track racing events this season.
Let’s talk about it
How many medals do you think team GB can win? Leave your ballpark figures down below!
With a combined 22 sports spanning 537 events, which will you be avidly watching?
Don\’t forget to follow all our socials for regular, exciting updates throughout the Paralympics.
Visit www.sportsforchampions.com to learn about our commonwealth athletes and their workshops, including an anti-knife crime workshop and a high school sports workshop.
