Tokyo Paralympics 2021: Opening ceremony, India’s flagbearer, when and where to watch, date and time (IST)

The Tokyo Paralympics 2021 is scheduled to be held between August 24 and September 5, and the opening ceremony is just hours away!

Indians are still celebrating their country’s biggest-ever medal haul at the Games following the recently-concluded Tokyo Olympics 2021. Now, they’ll be hoping for even more reasons to cheer as the Indian Paralympic contingent goes into action from August 27.

The Tokyo Paralympics was originally supposed to have been held last year, but had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year, the Games will witness some new events as well, as badminton and Taekwondo make their debuts at the Games.

A total of 54 Indian athletes, the largest-ever contingent, will compete across nine different sporting disciplines.

After a successful campaign at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, India will be hoping for an even better performance, with 35 more competitors on hand than were in the 2016 squad.

India’a flagbearer at the Tokyo Paralympics 2021

Javelin thrower Tek Chand will lead the Indian team as flagbearer during the opening ceremony on Tuesday, August 24. Originally, 2016 Rio Paralympics gold medalist Mariyappan Thangavelu was supposed to be the flagbearer for India. However, he and five other members of the Indian contingent were quarantined until further notice after coming in contact with a COVID-19 positive passenger.

Tokyo Paralympics 2021 opening ceremony: Date and time

The opening ceremony of the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics will be held at the Olympic Stadium in the Japanese Capital on Tuesday, August 24. It will commence at 4:30 PM IST and 8:00 PM local time.

Tokyo Paralympics 2021 opening ceremony: Broadcast details

The Paralympic Committee of India gave Eurosport India the official broadcasting rights of the Paralympics in India, which includes the opening ceremony. Doordarshan will also provide a live telecast of the opening ceremony.

The telecast for the Indian contingent at the 2021 Paralympics will commence with the archery event on August 27.

You might also like: Full list of Indian athletes taking part in Tokyo Paralympics 2021