The Tokyo Paralympics open Tuesday after a year-long pandemic delay and with the virus continuing to cast a long shadow as Japan battles a record surge in cases.
As at the Olympics, the event will be marked by strict virus rules, with almost all spectators banned and tough restrictions on athletes and other participants. The Games will see 4,400 athletes from around 160 national teams competing.
There are 22 sports, with athletes competing in different categories and classes depending on the nature of their disability. Badminton and taekwondo are appearing for the first time.
Here are some questions and answers about the Games and how the event will unfold in Tokyo:
What’s the history?
The first Paralympic Games took place in 1960 in Rome, featuring just 400 athletes from 23 countries.
The name Paralympics is intended to indicate an event happening in parallel, alongside the Olympics.
It grew from the Stoke Mandeville Games, a tournament organised in Britain in 1948 for 16…