Beijing, China, March 6, 2022: The Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games got underway at the iconic Bird’s Nest National Stadium with a spectacular opening ceremony on Friday, March 4.
The largest ever Asian delegation - six teams with a total of 169 athletes - will take part in the Winter Paralympics which will run through March 13. A total of 564 athletes from 46 countries will participate, with a record number of 138 women on the roster.
They will compete in 78 events across six sports ranging from ice sports like para ice hockey and wheelchair curling to snow sports including alpine skiing, cross country skiing, biathlon and snowboarding.
The six Asian countries taking part are China, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Korea.
Host China fielded the largest delegation with 96 athletes followed by Team USA with 65.
In his address at the Opening Ceremony, International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons called for the Olympic Truce for peace.
“Tonight, I want to begin with a message of peace. As the leader of an organisation with inclusion at its core, where diversity is celebrated and differences embraced, I am horrified at what is taking place in the world right now,” Parsons said.
“Here in Beijing, Paralympic athletes from 46 different nations will compete with each other, not against each other. Paralympians know that an opponent does not have to be an enemy, and that united we can achieve more, much more,” Parsons added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping declared open the Beijing Paralympic Winter Games.
