The 2016 Paralympics begin on Wednesday with Rio’s Maracana stadium again the iconic setting for the opening ceremony of a Games staged against a backdrop of austerity and doping.
Less than three weeks after the flame was doused on South America’s first Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro welcomes 4,300 Paralympians seeking their own slice of sporting glory.
Stars include Iranian powerlifter Siamand Rahman, Britain’s wheelchair racer David Weir and China’s blind sprinter Liu Cuiqing.
Two new events — canoe-kayak and triathlon — make their appearance on the 22-sport menu, with competitors from 161 nations — but not one Russian amongst them.
Russian para-athletes, who finished second behind China in the London 2012 medals table, were last month barred from the Sept 7-18 Games by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) following a World Anti-Doping Agency report which alleged a vast state-sponsored doping program.
Six countries are sending athletes for the very first time — Aruba, Congo, Malawi, Somalia, Sao Tome and Principe and Togo.
Ghana is making it fourth appearance at the Paralympics and will be represented by three para-athletes namely Alem Mumuni (Para- Cycling), Charles Teye Narh and Yussif Amadu (High Jump)
Para-Athletes Ready To Rock Rio Paralympics
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