Danni Di Toro and Ryley Batt carried the Australian flag at the Paralympics opening ceremony on Tuesday night, kicking off a blockbuster 12 days of competition.
The feel-good story the world is craving has arrived, with Danni Di Toro and Ryley Batt flying the Australian flag high and proud at the Paralympics opening ceremony on Tuesday night.
Fitted with an Akubra each and no doubt grins from ear to ear underneath their masks, the Australians were one of the smaller teams on the evening. The first athlete to march out was Afghani-born athlete Abbas Karimi, who was born without arms, representing the Refugee Paralympic team. He fled Afghanistan when he was 16 before taking up competitive swimming in the United States.
Just like the Olympics, no crowd took the shine off the event, even if there were some schoolchildren in the stands. This would have been a full house had COVID-19 not relegated supporters to their homes for the next 12 days as Tokyo battles through a state of emergency with no end in sight. “There is an enormous sense of gratitude for what the Japanese people have done to get the Games to this point. We understand it’s a horrendously difficult time for them at the moment with COVID-19 numbers rising and I think it’s not lost on the Australian Paralympic team.”
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ryley Batt and Danni di Toro to carry Australian flag at Paralympics opening ceremonyIt is di Toro's seventh Games, while Batt is a four-time Paralympian and aiming for his third straight gold medal as a member of the Steelers wheelchair rugby team.
Read more »
How to watch the Tokyo Paralympics and when is the opening ceremonyThe Tokyo Paralympics are due to start this week and run until Sunday, September 5. Here's how to watch the Games in Australia and when to tune in for the opening ceremony.
Read more »
Ryley Batt and Danni di Toro to carry Australian flag at Paralympics opening ceremonyIt is di Toro's seventh Games, while Batt is a four-time Paralympian and aiming for his third straight gold medal as a member of the Steelers wheelchair rugby team.
Read more »
NZ Paralympic team will not attend opening ceremony after 236 cases linked to ParalympicsNew Zealand has announced its Paralympians will not be attending Tuesday night’s Tokyo Paralympic Games opening ceremony as cases surge in the Japanese capital.
Read more »
The key moments from the opening ceremony of the Tokyo ParalympicsAn inclusive and massive human rights movement, a one-winged plane and a Japanese guitar legend highlight the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games.
Read more »
Incredible Paralympic stories, from the 'armless archer' to the 'blade jumper'The opening ceremony featured the national flags of the 162 delegations represented, which included the refugee team. In addition, the flag of Afghanistan was carried by a volunteer despite the delegation not being on hand in Tokyo. 9News
Read more »