President Tsai Ing-wen (???) wished the athletes on Taiwan’s national Paralympic team good luck on Tuesday evening as the Paralympic Games kicked off with the opening ceremony in Tokyo.

In a Facebook post, Tsai said she tuned in to the ceremony’s broadcast to watch Taiwan’s athletes take their place on the world stage. “Paralympic heroes, everyone is rooting for you!” she wrote.

In the post, Tsai said Paralympic competitors must overcome various physical challenges, whether it be the use of a wheelchair or prosthetic limbs, in order to test their limits as athletes.

“This is the power of athletics, a power that is available to everyone,” she said.

“Just as the name ‘Paralympics’ comes from the Greek word ‘para,’ meaning to go ‘along’ or ‘beside,’ we can show that we stand beside those with physical disabilities by watching and supporting the Paralympic Games,” Tsai added.

The Paralympic Games got underway Tuesday evening with the opening ceremony in Tokyo, which was highlighted by the traditional entry of each delegation into the Olympic stadium known as the “Parade of Nations. “

This year’s parade featured a total of 163 delegations, led by the Refugee Paralympic Team and rounded out by host country Japan, while other national teams entered, according to Japanese alphabetical order.

Taiwan’s delegation of 10 athletes came 83rd in the procession, with long jumper Yang Chuan-hui (???) and javelin thrower Liu Ya-ting (???) serving as flag bearers.

The Tokyo Paralympics end on Sept. 5.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel