As the final rounds of closing ceremony fireworks brighten the dim and drizzled Japanese night sky, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games came to an end.
Having been held behind closed doors due to Covid restrictions, these parallel Games have undoubtedly been one of the most memorable for the millions of viewers who have tuned in around the world.
Countless records have tumbled and the human stories have shone through the sometimes murky weather to both move and inspire.
A record number of athletes and teams have competed in Tokyo, a testament to the legacy of the Paralympics and the pioneering para-athletes who can all return to their homes knowing they have inspired millions to question what they perceive to be their own limitations. With the next Games only three years away, it is likely we will see many familiar faces in Paris.
There has been no shortage of phenomenal moments in Tokyo over the past two weeks. We have whittled the many down to just a few that will last long in our memory.
Biggest highlight
Despite fears they would not be able to travel, Afghanistan athletes, Zakia Khudadadai and Hossain Rasouli, arrived in Tokyo just in time to compete in the Paralympics. After the Taliban took over the country, fears arose regarding the safety and the future of Afghanistan's para-athletes, especially after Khudadadi had released a video plea saying that she was unable to leave her house.
Nevertheless, they made it to the Games to represent their nation. Khudadadi competed on Thursday in the women’s k44 - 49kg Taekwondo tournament and finished ninth, while Rasouli's presence in the T47 long jump final inspired the other contenders.
Favourite Gold medal performance
There just aren’t sufficient words to explain the long list of epic achievements of Sarah Storey. The Team GB star won her 15th, 16th and 17th gold medals in Tokyo to become Britain’s most decorated Paralympian. “I'm a bit overwhelmed, it feels like it's happening to someone else,” Storey said.
It wasn’t all plain sailing as Storey was trailing by 75 seconds at one stage of the C4-5 road race but found the fire to pull it back and claim her record-breaking 17th gold medal. Cycling is Storey’s second Paralympic sport; her epic legacy began when she picked up a sizeable collection of medals in the pool between Barcelona 1992 and Athens 2004, before switching to two wheels in Beijing.
Biggest controversy
Malaysian para-athlete Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli appeared to have won gold in the shot put in the men’s F20 class, however he was stripped of his medal because he had shown up three minutes late for the competition.
The decision caused uproar, particularly online with blame being aimed at the Ukrainian team whose silver and bronze were upgraded. Zolkefi had claimed he had not heard the announcement. A statement from World Para Athletics, which governs track and field for Para sports, said a referee had determined that “there was no justifiable reason for the athletes’ failure to report” on time. It said an appeal was also turned down.
Moving human stories
One thing the Paralympics always brings is a plethora of remarkable human stories, of athletes who overcome adversity to reach their goals, and these Games were no exception.
We spoke to Palestine’s sole Paralympian, Husam Azzam, who despite immeasurable pain and sacrifice travelled to Tokyo to deliver a message of awareness of the healthcare afforded to children in his home of Gaza, as his son lay fighting for his life in a hospital bed.
Also check out the incredible story of Arz Zahreddine, Lebanon’s only Paralympic representative, who was competing for the victims and survivors of the Beirut port explosion.
Surprise of the Games
Lisbeli Vera Andrade of Venezuela came out of nowhere to dominate the women’s T47 sprint events. The shy 19-year-old from Maracaibo picked up gold in the 100m and 200m, and silver in the 400m to make one of the most impressive hauls in athletics at the games, but yet no one had seen it coming.
Her 100m win came down to a photo finish, pipping Brittni Mason, the favourite from the US, by 0.001 seconds. “When I crossed the finish line I didn't realise I'd won and I didn’t know how to express my feelings in the moment,” said Andrade, who had folded and cried on the rain soaked track in the National Stadium after the announcement of her 100m win.
In interviews following her wins, Andrade, who has one arm, has been vocal about the bullying she experienced when she was younger. With her two golds and a silver in Tokyo, we’re likely to see a lot more silver-wear before the 19-year-old gets the final ‘last laugh’.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
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The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
RESULTS
Bantamweight
Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
(Split decision)
Featherweight
Hussein Salim (IRQ) beat Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
(Round 1 submission, armbar)
Catchweight 80kg
Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Otabek Kadirov (UZB)
(Round-1 submission, rear naked choke)
Lightweight
Ho Taek-oh (KOR) beat Ronald Girones (CUB)
(Round 3 submission, triangle choke)
Lightweight
Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) beat Damien Lapilus (FRA)
(Unanimous points)
Bantamweight
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
(Round 1 TKO)
Featherweight
Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
(Round 1 rear naked choke)
Flyweight
Shannon Ross (TUR) beat Donovon Freelow (USA)
(Unanimous decision)
Lightweight
Dan Collins (GBR) beat Mohammad Yahya (UAE)
(Round 2 submission D’arce choke)
Catchweight 73kg
Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM) beat Islam Mamedov (RUS)
(Round 3 submission, kneebar)
Bantamweight world title
Xavier Alaoui (MAR) beat Jaures Dea (CAM)
(Unanimous points 48-46, 49-45, 49-45)
Flyweight world title
Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
(Round 1 RSC)
Emirates Cricket Board Women’s T10
ECB Hawks v ECB Falcons
Monday, April 6, 7.30pm, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The match will be broadcast live on the My Sports Eye Facebook page
Hawks
Coach: Chaitrali Kalgutkar
Squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Archara Supriya, Chamani Senevirathne, Chathurika Anand, Geethika Jyothis, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kashish Loungani, Khushi Sharma, Khushi Tanwar, Rinitha Rajith, Siddhi Pagarani, Siya Gokhale, Subha Srinivasan, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish
Falcons
Coach: Najeeb Amar
Squad: Kavisha Kumari (captain), Almaseera Jahangir, Annika Shivpuri, Archisha Mukherjee, Judit Cleetus, Ishani Senavirathne, Lavanya Keny, Mahika Gaur, Malavika Unnithan, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Shashini Kaluarachchi, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
