Organisers say that the 2nd Paralympic Day was the perfect warm-up on the eve of the opening of the Paralympic Games ticket sales on October 9
With French President Emmannuel Macron in attendance, the 2nd Paralympic Day celebrations were organised by Paris 2024 Organising Committee at Place de la République in Paris on Sunday, to create greater awareness about Paralympic Games which will be held in Paris in 2024.
According to a press statement by the organisers, during the event, Macron came to encourage the French delegation and its high level of ambition, but also to stress the importance of public support.
For this special occasion, which was co-organised by the French Ministry of Sport, the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF) and the City of Paris, the Place de la République, a key square in the French capital, was decked out in the colours of Paralympic Day 2023, bringing together the public in force for a foretaste of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
The organisers say that the 2nd Paralympic Day was the perfect warm-up on the eve of the opening of the Paralympic Games ticket sales on October 9.
The statement adds that in a family, sporting and festive atmosphere, the Place de la République was transformed into a vast open-air playground, bringing together nearly 100 athletes and tens of thousands of spectators. The President encouraged the members of the French team as they prepared to win Paralympic medals in front of their home crowd. This day of sporting demonstrations is helping to enthuse the public and change the way our society looks at dissability, so that accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities is also a legacy of the Paris 2024 Games, says the organisers.
Numerous sporting initiations and performances enlivened the day with champions from the French team such as in Para athletics with Arnaud Assoumani, Nantenin Keita, Badr Touzi,in Para swimming with Ugo Didier, in Wheelchair tennis with Michaël Jeremiasz, who is Chef de Mission of the French delegation to Paris 2024, in Para alpine skiing with Marie Bochet and Para triathlon with Alexis Hanquinquant, among others.
The statement adds that the central stage was hosted by Théo Curin, Para-swimming world vice-champion, and Sandy Heribert, journalist and TV presenter. There was a succession of events, including the opportunity to applaud Matt Stutzman, theAmerican Para archer and guest of honour on the day, as well as the first French athletes officially selected for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
The organisers say that on the eve of the opening of the ticket sales for the Paralympic Games, young and old, sports fans and the curious were able to discover the activities put on by the sports federations and learn about 23 Para sports, including 16 Paralympic sports such as Blind Football, Wheelchair Tennis, Para archery and even Para canoeing.
The statement adds that several dozen lucky people were able to win the first tickets to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, on the eve of the official opening of ticket sales. The visitors also got the opportunity to try their luck at becoming a Torchbearer for the Olympic Torch Relay and thus take part in the Games in a different way.
Inclusion was at the heart of the day, with people getting the chance to put themselves in the shoes of people with disabilities by trying out a wheelchair course or wearing prostheses as well as an inclusive and accessible skatepark for people with disabilities and workshops to raise awareness of sign language.
“The second Paralympic Day was truly spectacular and left me with even greater excitement for next summer’s Paralympic Games. The mixture of sporting performances, entertainment, partner activations, and announcements regarding the French team was highly engaging. The attendance of President Macron, several government ministers, Mayor Hidalgo, and city representatives underlines just how committed everyone is to making Paris 2024 the most spectacular Paralympic Games to date. To see so many people attending left me full of confidence that interest in buying Paralympic tickets will be extremely high when they go on sale on Monday 9 October. We are on course for truly outstanding Paris 2024 Paralympic Games,” said Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee.
‘‘We are delighted to have organised this second Paralympic Day. The day brought together around a hundred Olympic and Paralympic athletes, with a rich programme of sporting demonstrations and introductions. It was important for us to raise awareness among the general public before the opening of the Paris Paralympic Games ticket office,’’ said Marie-Amélie Le Fur, President of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee.
‘‘The government is pursuing its proactive commitment to the development and visibility of parasports, and is supporting Paralympic athletes more strongly than ever with a 3-fold increase in the resources allocated to them from 2019. We are increasing access to sport for people with disabilities, with the training and accreditation of 3,000 new inclusive clubs throughout France between now and the Games. Finally, we are doing everything we can to maximise accessibility in all areas of spectator reception, from public transport to hotels-cafés-restaurants, not forgetting the introduction of a fleet of 1,000 accessible taxis, with massive and unprecedented financial aid. This day, attended by the President of the French Republic, was an opportunity to reaffirm all these commitments, to live up to the exceptional and spectacular achievements of our para-athletes and the challenge of building a more inclusive society. The day lived up to its promise as a great popular celebration of the values of diversity and sharing, and a wonderful launch pad for the Paralympic ticket sales scheduled for Monday 9 October! I’d like to extend my warmest thanks to the public who turned out in force, to the athletes who took part, and to the organisers and hosts of this wonderful event,’’ said Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, Minister for Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
‘‘What a party on Place de la République this Sunday! Visitors flocked in their droves to take part in the sports initiations, enjoy the entertainment and celebrate the magic of sport together. I’d like to thank the athletes and all the teams who worked so hard to make this second Paralympic Day such a great success! As ticket sales for the Paralympic Games open tomorrow, over the coming months we will continue to double our efforts to transform Paris and enable everyone to play their full part. We’re ready!’’ said Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris.
‘‘What a day! A huge thank you to the athletes, stakeholders, corporate partners, media, Paris 2024 teams and all those who helped make this second Paralympic Day such a great success. And above all, thank you for coming in such numbers to experience this moment of celebration around Para sports and Para athletes. We can’t wait to experience these emotions a hundredfold, in less than a year’s time, with the first Paralympic Games in France! To get your tickets for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, go to our ticketing website tomorrow, Monday 9 October at 10am. To live this unique experience and to get behind the world’s greatest Paralympians in the summer of 2024, don’t miss this rendez-vous!’’ said Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024.
