Paris city of France will host the 17th edition of Paralympic Games scheduled for 2024.

The curtain fell on the 16th Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on 5 September, in Tokyo Japan.

The Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike passed the Paralympic flag to International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons, who then passed it to the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. The orange Paralympic flame turned purple — the colour of WeThe15.

The entire Stadium was alight with the glow of a sunset, which went smaller and smaller, fading into the Cauldron. The Paralympic Flame was extinguished like the setting sun.

“These Games helped fulfill the dreams of many here in Tokyo and fuelled the ambitions of many more watching at home,” said Parsons.

“The Paralympic Movement has a message for you: Tokyo ga daisuki desu, We love you Tokyo; Nihon ga daisuki desu, we love you Japan! Immense gratitude to all the people that delivered these Games.”

And finally, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games came to a close. The spirit of the Games will be carried now in the 2024 Games.

The just concluded Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics show how Japan made the world sit back and take notice of their organisational capabilities and more importantly, their will and determination to keep their promise, made eight years ago, of delivering a mega event.

Angelica Espinoza was a young 15-year-old schoolgirl when she started following the London 2012 Paralympic Games on TV from her home city of Lima, Peru.

“That is when I got to know about the Paralympic Movement and when I promised myself that I had to be there one day,” she recalled.

Little did she know back then that nine years later she would become taekwondo’s first Paralympic champion ever and Peru’s first gold medallist in over two decades.

“From that first time I watched Para sport until now, I made everything I could to fulfil my dream. I fell in love with taekwondo, which I realised I was good at, and knew I had chances of improving and hopefully reaching the Paralympics one day.”

Fast-forward eight years and Espinoza was arriving in Tokyo as one of the heavy favourites for gold in the women’s K44 -49kg event.

At her home Parapan American Games in Lima in 2019, she had provided the hosts with one of the event’s enduring memories by winning gold. She followed that up with multiple titles at five of the six competitions she took part in prior to Tokyo 2020.

Not even the pandemic made her lose focus on her big goal. “I even feel the pandemic gave me this opportunity to prepare myself for an extra year. I trained hard over the last month and it was my dream to be here today standing on that podium and listening to the national anthem.”

In a thrilling final, she beat Turkey’s world No.2 Meryem Cavdar, therefore achieving Peru’s first Paralympic title in 21 years and first medal in 17.

“It is really exciting for me; all three combats were really tough and I feel very proud with the result, being the first taekwondo Paralympic champion feels great.”

Espinoza is confident her victory will help raise further awareness of Para sports in her country. “There will be more support and visibility,” she said.

Looking ahead to her next competitions, including the Santiago 2023 Parapan Ams and the Paris 2024 Paralympics, the 23-year-old does not want to want to lose her place atop of the podium. “I want to keep winning medals.”

She also has a final message for all her followers in Peru and around the world: “I want to tell them to strive and work hard to achieve what they want. Dreams do come true.”

Australian cyclist Paige Greco won the first gold of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics on Wednesday with the Games, delayed by a year due to the pandemic, finally underway as new coronavirus cases surge in Japan’s capital.

Greco crossed the line first in the women’s C1-3 3,000 meters individual pursuit at the Izu Velodrome ahead of silver medalist Xiaomei Wang from China. Germany’s Denise Schindler clinched bronze.

Among the dozens of medal events Wednesday, 16 golds are up for grabs in swimming.

Speaking after qualifying for the men’s 400 meters freestyle final on Wednesday afternoon in Japan, Australian swimmer Alexander Tuckfield said getting into the pool after the long postponement felt like having a “weight lifted from my shoulders.”

“Five years of just training, training and training for this competition,” Tuckfield said.

The wheelchair basketball and goalball competitions also began on Wednesday, with China’s women’s basketball team beating Algeria 74-25 and the Netherlands defeating Team USA 68-58.

Medal events in wheelchair fencing are scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Japan.

The 2020 Paralympics kicked off with a colorful and celebratory opening ceremony Tuesday night, including a parade of the participating nations led by the six-member Paralympic Refugee Team.

One volunteer carried the Afghanistan flag, in honor of Afghan athletes unable to compete in the Games after flights out of the country were canceled after the Taliban seized power.

Speaking on Wednesday, IPC spokesman Craig Spence said two Paralympians from Afghanistan had managed to flee the country.

“I’m not going to tell you where they are, because this isn’t about sports, this is about human life and keeping people safe,” he said. “They are now in a safe place. They have been through a very traumatic process, and they are undergoing counseling and psychological health tests.”