Paralympics opening: Without spectators, but with Kaiser

539 competitions, 4,400 athletes – the Paralympics will open in Tokyo today. Because of the corona pandemic, the ceremony will take place without spectators – the Japanese emperor will be present for this.

The Paralympics have not yet started, but Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike doesn’t even know what to do with all her praise and flowery words. “These Paralympic Games will leave an invisible legacy, as can be expected for a mature society. Diversity and harmony are the vision of these games, such as respecting human rights so that there can be social inclusion in society.” She has even tried all 22 sports and she particularly likes boccia. As the governor of Tokyo, Koike could see all the competitions live.

Naruhito at celebration

Otherwise, spectators are again excluded due to rising corona numbers, including at the opening ceremony. Japan’s Emperor Naruhito will attend the ceremony. The 61-year-old monarch is the official patron of the Paralympics and had previously declared the Olympic Games to be open in the capital’s new Olympic stadium. According to unconfirmed media reports, IOC President Thomas Bach will also come to the celebration.

539 competitions

In the next two weeks the approximately 4400 athletes will present their achievements in front of mostly empty stands. However, up to 170,000 pupils should be allowed to attend individual competitions as part of an educational program.

A total of 539 competitions in 22 sports are planned. Host country Japan starts with a record number of 221 participants and is aiming for 20 gold medals. The German team consists of 133 athletes. Around a third of them say they belong to the corona risk group. Because of this and because of the tense corona situation, teams and journalists are only allowed to move in a kind of bubble.

Think more about people with disabilities

This is probably one of the reasons why, according to surveys, a majority of Japanese think it is right to exclude viewers. Like Ryu: “During the Olympics, the corona infections increased, now it’s even worse. But I would find it unjust to cancel the Paralympics for this reason. But I follow the news on both topics carefully.” He hopes that the games will make the Japanese think more about people with disabilities and that politicians will become more involved – because, in his opinion, they have done too little so far.

His friend Genta continues to see problems with participation: “There has been progress in terms of accessibility. For example, stairs with handrails make it less difficult for people with disabilities to lead a normal life. At work and at school, however, there are no equality yet. “

Backlog in infrastructure

Yasuta Wake, professor of sociology at Meiji Gakuin University, also sees light and shadow. “In the past, Japan only had commercials with healthy athletes. Now people with physical disabilities who take part in the Paralympics can also be seen on television. This is a big change from the Olympic Games 30 years ago. It shows that this is happening Public awareness is changing. ” He sees a need to catch up in the infrastructure. Overall, the professor hopes that the Paralympics will lead to more togetherness.

Yuka doesn’t even think about it. She’s just happy that it’s starting again. The Japanese had already been infected by the Olympics. Actually, she was only interested in the Olympics because the Games were taking place in Tokyo – and therefore watched a lot of television. And that is exactly what she now wants to do with her family at the Paralympics.