PARIS, France (Aug 28. 2024) A total of 13 Para Taekwondoins had the honour of carrying their country’s flag during the historic Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games this evening.
For the first time in the Paralympic history, the Opening Ceremony took place outside the stadium with athletes from a record 168 delegations paraded at the iconic Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees, in front of thousands of cheering fans.
The ceremony included several stunning shows as the Place de la Concorde displayed colour of French flag. Several music and dance performances, fireworks also mesmerised the audience during the evening.
Among the prominent names who attended the Opening ceremony were: France President Emmanuel Macron, IOC President Thomas Bach and IPC President Andrew Parsons among others.
Amid the festive atmosphere, the spotlight was on the athletes as they dispalyed their high energy, excitement and readiness ahead of the competitions most of which kick off from Thursday (Aug. 29).
Bozteke, Khalilov among flagbearers
Paralympic bronze medallist Mahmut Bozteke was among the list of Para Taekwondo flagbearers as he proudly did the honours for Turkiye. Bozteke is one of the players to watch in Men K44 -63kg, in Paris, after his golden shows in back-to-back Para Taekwondo Grand Prix in Taiyuan and Manchester last year.
The Turkish will be joined by reigning world champion Imamaddin Khalilov who was the flagbearer for Azerbaijan. The nation will bank on Khalilov yet again to deliver in Paris after he had impresssed in Para Taekwondo Grand Prix series, continental and World Para Taekwondo Championships.
For Cameroon and Niger, Marie Antoinnette Dassi and Ide Oumarou Jabirou made history as they became the first ever Para Taekwondoins to be the flagbearers for their nations. The nations have qualified for the Paralympics for the first time ever in Paris.
Other Para Taekwondo flagbearers included Elliott Andre Loonstra who won Aruba's first ever Parapan American Games medal last year, and Palesha Goverdhan, who had made history for Nepal winning its first Asian Para Games medal in Hangzhou 2022.
The full list of flagbearers can be found below:
Ebrahim DANISHI (AFG)
Elliott Andre LOONSTRA (ARU)
Imamaddin KHALILOV (AZE)
Marie Antoinnette DASSI (CMR)
Andres MOLINA (CRC)
Irene MAR (FIJ)
Palesha GOVERDHAN (NEP)
Ide Oumarou DJABIROU (NIG)
Herea LOI (PNG)
Manega TAPARI (PNG)
James Ingram GEGEU (SOL)
Junita TONOWANE (SOL)
Mahmut BOZTEKE (TUR)
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will be the second appearance of Para Taekwondo after the sport's successful debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and action starts at the Grand Palais from tomorrow (Aug. 29) with three medal events to be contested in Women K44 -47kg, Women K44 -52kg and Men K44 - 58kg events.
