04:14President of the International Paralympics Committee IPC Andrew Parsons announced that Afghan athletes Hossain Rasouli and Zakia Khudadadi had been given the opportunity to carry the Olympic flag on Sunday night at the Games closure, speaking at the last Tokyo 2020 daily briefing at the Japanese capital's media press centre on Sunday.
"We are giving them the opportunity to both to carry the flag tonight. There's no decision yet but as we have been doing since they got here it would be their decision to march with a flag or not," Parsons said referring to the Afghan athletes.
Parsons highlighted the 86 nations winners of Olympic medals, 62 of them gold, deeming the Games as "just sensational."
"I don't have any doubt that this was the most important edition of the Paralympic Games because of the pandemic, because we gave a voice to 1.2 billion persons with disability through the performances of the most incredible athletes with a disability," he added.
Sitting next to him, President of Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee Hashimoto Seiko stressed the importance of the many setbacks the Olympic Games faced during this edition.
"When the world comes to a point where all five continents have to solve the same problems, including infectious diseases, natural phenomena, global warming, and all kinds of climate change, it is for this reason that Japan must define itself to the world as a country that can firmly solve these problems,” she stated.
"I have been saying that without the success of the Paralympic Games, there will be no success of the Tokyo Games, but I believe that there must have been a change in the hearts and minds of the people of Japan and the world by watching the Paralympic Games. I believe that this change and awareness is the result of the Paralympics," Seiko concluded.
Japan: Afghan athletes offered to carry Olympic flag on Paralympics closure - IPC pres as he assesses Tokyo Games
President of the International Paralympics Committee IPC Andrew Parsons announced that Afghan athletes Hossain Rasouli and Zakia Khudadadi had been given the opportunity to carry the Olympic flag on Sunday night at the Games closure, speaking at the last Tokyo 2020 daily briefing at the Japanese capital's media press centre on Sunday.
"We are giving them the opportunity to both to carry the flag tonight. There's no decision yet but as we have been doing since they got here it would be their decision to march with a flag or not," Parsons said referring to the Afghan athletes.
Parsons highlighted the 86 nations winners of Olympic medals, 62 of them gold, deeming the Games as "just sensational."
"I don't have any doubt that this was the most important edition of the Paralympic Games because of the pandemic, because we gave a voice to 1.2 billion persons with disability through the performances of the most incredible athletes with a disability," he added.
Sitting next to him, President of Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee Hashimoto Seiko stressed the importance of the many setbacks the Olympic Games faced during this edition.
"When the world comes to a point where all five continents have to solve the same problems, including infectious diseases, natural phenomena, global warming, and all kinds of climate change, it is for this reason that Japan must define itself to the world as a country that can firmly solve these problems,” she stated.
"I have been saying that without the success of the Paralympic Games, there will be no success of the Tokyo Games, but I believe that there must have been a change in the hearts and minds of the people of Japan and the world by watching the Paralympic Games. I believe that this change and awareness is the result of the Paralympics," Seiko concluded.
President of the International Paralympics Committee IPC Andrew Parsons announced that Afghan athletes Hossain Rasouli and Zakia Khudadadi had been given the opportunity to carry the Olympic flag on Sunday night at the Games closure, speaking at the last Tokyo 2020 daily briefing at the Japanese capital's media press centre on Sunday.
"We are giving them the opportunity to both to carry the flag tonight. There's no decision yet but as we have been doing since they got here it would be their decision to march with a flag or not," Parsons said referring to the Afghan athletes.
Parsons highlighted the 86 nations winners of Olympic medals, 62 of them gold, deeming the Games as "just sensational."
"I don't have any doubt that this was the most important edition of the Paralympic Games because of the pandemic, because we gave a voice to 1.2 billion persons with disability through the performances of the most incredible athletes with a disability," he added.
Sitting next to him, President of Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee Hashimoto Seiko stressed the importance of the many setbacks the Olympic Games faced during this edition.
"When the world comes to a point where all five continents have to solve the same problems, including infectious diseases, natural phenomena, global warming, and all kinds of climate change, it is for this reason that Japan must define itself to the world as a country that can firmly solve these problems,” she stated.
"I have been saying that without the success of the Paralympic Games, there will be no success of the Tokyo Games, but I believe that there must have been a change in the hearts and minds of the people of Japan and the world by watching the Paralympic Games. I believe that this change and awareness is the result of the Paralympics," Seiko concluded.