Posted By Staff Reporter
Post Courier THE 2012 London Paralympic Games began with a spectacular opening ceremony themed, “Enlightenment” last Wednesday at the Stratford Stadium, London. PNG Paralympic team of six members was led by flag bearer Francis Kompaon through the 80,000 plus audience including the Queen. PNG was among 163 countries at the Games. The show was stunning with fireworks, dancing and singing, by many people with disability taking part. The theme, Enlightenment was narrated by Professor Stephen Hawking, a reknown astrophysics professor in the world. There are total of 4280 athletes from the 164 countries participating in the 503 events.
The flame was taken down on the last leg of its journey by an athlete attached to a zip wire and was lit by Margaret Maughan, the first gold medallist of Great Britain in the first official Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome. The next 11 days will see athletes putting to test what they have been training and committing their lives into to bring them to this level of competition. PNG’s two paralympians - Kompaon and Timothy Harabe - will begin their competitions yesterday with Kompaon competing in the 200m heat at 9pm London time and complete on 6th September 2012. Below is the full schedule: August 31 - Francis Kompaon in 200m heat September 2 – Francis Kompaon in 200m final September 3 – Timothy Harabe in 75kg category September 6 – Francis Kompaon in 100m heat at 11.38am September 6 – Francis Kompaon 100m final. The PNG Paralympic Team in London had settled well in the Games Village after their arrival on Friday August 24 from a 10-day training camp in Cardiff, Wales. On Tuesday August,28, at 11.30am London time, the official welcome ceremony to the Games Village and Flag raising was held for Team PNG. Games Village Mayor, Eva Loeffler who is the daughter of Sir Ludwig Guttmann, the founder of the Paralympic Games in Stoke Mandeville, officially welcomed PNG Paralympic team into the Games Village and the Paralympic Games. PNG was officially welcomed together with five other countries on the same time including, Malta, Solomon Island, Turkey and Vanuatu. An exchange of gift was also made to the Games Village major by every National Paralympic during the official welcome ceremony. PNG High Commissioner to London, Winnie Kiap was also there to witness the occasion with family members and other PNG friends and supporters who were guests of the PNG Paralympic Team. Comments are closed.
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