PARIS (TVBS News) — The Paralympics opened with a grand ceremony at Place de la Concorde on Wednesday (Aug. 28), captivating over 50,000 spectators. During the broadcast, the host of France 2, the French public national television channel, highlighted Team Chinese Taipei (中華台北隊), saying, "The flag reads Chinese Taipei, but it is Taiwan."
Over 5,000 competitors participated in the event, which involved athletes from 168 countries. Taiwan's delegation, coded TPE, received cheers as it marched between Syria and Tanzania. Javelin thrower Liu Ya-ting (劉雅婷) and rising table tennis star Chen Po-yen (陳柏諺) led the team, which also included 45-year-old table tennis veteran Cheng Ming-chih (程銘志).
Thomas Jolly directed the ceremony, which Alexander Ekman choreographed. Ekman collaborated with disabled dancers to showcase strength and courage around the Luxor Obelisk. The torch lighting concluded the ceremony in a joyful and warm atmosphere, marking the official start of the Paralympics.
