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’.
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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MATCH INFO
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Saturday's results
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 0-2 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Watford 0-3 Burnley
Manchester City v Chelsea, 9.30pm
MATCH INFO
Burnley 1 (Brady 89')
Manchester City 4 (Jesus 24', 50', Rodri 68', Mahrez 87')
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
LIVERPOOL SQUAD
Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, Adrian, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Andy Lonergan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, Curtis Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
FIXTURES (all times UAE)
Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)
Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
MO
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more about the coronavirus
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
The specs
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Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
