For the first time ever, each NPC was invited to appoint one female and one male athlete to jointly carry their flag during the Opening Ceremony.[1]
Parade order
In the announcement of the Refugee Paralympic Team, it was stated that the team would enter first in the parade of nations.[2] The rest of the countries entered in Gojūon order, with the three final countries being the United States, France, and Japan, as the current host and the next two hosts of the Paralympic Games, France in 2024 and the United States in 2028, Paris and Los Angeles respectively.
Under the assumption that Afghanistan's athletes would be unable to compete in the Paralympics due to the Fall of Kabul to the Taliban, the International Paralympic Committee invited the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to represent Afghanistan in the Parade of Nations as a "sign of solidarity".[3] However, the UNHCR declined to name a representative and a volunteer served as Afghanistan's flagbearer.[4] The two athletes, Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli, were evacuated from Afghanistan two days after the opening ceremony and later confirmed their participation in the Paralympics. The two carried Afghanistan's flag at the closing ceremony.[5]
New Zealand's athletes also did not participate in the parade.[4]
Solomon Islands had its national flag paraded at the opening ceremony, but ultimately the Solomon Islands team withdrew from the 2020 Summer Paralympics without coming to Japan.[6][7]
^Short name Refugee Paralympic Team/難民選手団 on the panels and as announced.
^Afghanistan's delegation was unable to march at the opening ceremony as the Taliban re-invaded Kabul days before the games. But then the IPC announced that two para-athletes from Afghanistan had arrived in Tokyo to participate in the Tokyo Paralympics.
^Replaced Mariyappan Thangavelu (as original flagbearer), who was quarantined due to possible COVID-19 exposure.[30]
^The panel and announcement both used the name RPC.
^RPC was sorted based on its English abbreviation NPC RPC, in Japanese エヌ・ピー・シー・アール・ピー・シー (Enu Pī Shī Āru Pī Shī).[47]
^ The Guinea team had two registered athlete for Athletics.
^The delegation was represented in the Parade, but ultimately withdrew from competition.
^New Zealand's delegation did not participate who were quarantined and isolated for 7 days.
^The Madagascar team had only one registered athlete, but did not participate in the parade.
^Among the Citations, "Toca su turno" (in Spanish), dated (24 August 2021), mentions "Edgar Barajas" as a male flag bearer. However, comparing the other Citations with photos, It is certain that "Diego Lopez Diaz" was actually the male flag bearer of Mexico.
^Instead, a volunteer was holding the flag in his hand.
Reviews
The names of each para-athlete who participated in the Opening Ceremony's Parade were projected and scrolled on the "digital signage" equivalent to the inner diameter of the stadium.[206]
^"NHK anchor announces 'Taiwan' team at Tokyo Paralympics". Taiwan News. 2021-08-25. Retrieved 2021-08-25. A total of 11 Taiwanese representatives took part in the parade, led by long jumper Yang Chuan-hui (楊川輝) and javelin thrower Liu Ya-ting (劉雅婷), who served as the flag bearers.
^Citation listed "Diego Lopez Diaz" as male flag-bearer - Tavares, Joanna (24 August 2021). "Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games opening ceremony". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021. Flag bearers Amalia Perez and Diego Lopez Diaz of Team Mexico lead their delegation in the parade of athletes during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on Aug. 24, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
^Spanish citation listed "Diego Lopez Diaz" as male flag-bearer - "Todos los atletas mexicanos en los Juegos Paralímpicos". LIFE AND STYLE (in Spanish). 24 August 2021. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021. Amalia Pérez y Diego López Díaz entraron como abanderados de la selección paralímpica de México al Estadio Nacional de Japón. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
^For reference, a photo of Diego Lopez Diaz in spanish citation - Giraudi, Matías (2 September 2021). "Vale oro" (in Spanish). Diario Once. Retrieved 18 September 2021. Diego López Díaz, ganó el primer lugar en natación de 50 metros libres.
^exceptionally, a spanish citation listed "Edgar Barajas" as the male flag-bearer (but no his photo) - Giraudi, Matías (24 August 2021). "Toca su turno" (in Spanish). Diario Once. Archived from the original on August 26, 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021. México tuvo su desfile número 13 (el total de participaciones), con Amalia Pérez y Edgar Barajas como abanderados de la delegación.
.svg){kind=logo}