Celebration Marks 2 Years to Go to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

Tokyo celebrates the day with a range of events and fun activities

Tokyo, 25 August 2018 – A "2 Years to Go" countdown ceremony hosted jointly by the Tokyo

Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) and the Tokyo Metropolitan

Government was held today at MEGA WEB, a theme park in the Tokyo Bay zone where many

Paralympic games events are scheduled to be held in 2020.

Thousands of people participated in a variety of events at the ceremony, many taking the chance to try

out various Paralympic sports such as boccia, wheelchair basketball, football 5-a-side and sitting

volleyball. Many of the booths attracted children, families and others interested in Paralympic sports and

in getting involved in the Tokyo 2020 Games.

The countdown ceremony was attended by a number of Paralympic athletes and medalists, as well as

the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic mascot Someity and Tokyo 2020 Olympic mascot Miraitowa. They werejoined by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Special Ambassador toward the Tokyo 2020Paralympic Games Shingo Katori.

The Paralympic athletes joining the ceremony included badminton player Sarina Satomi, canoeistMakoto Koyama, cyclist Shota Kawamoto, goalball player Yuki Tenma, rower Daisuke Maeda andshooting Paralympian Aki Taguchi.

Canoeist Makoto Koyama said, "I want to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games sportingmy best smile! I'm going to cherish every single race over the next two years, and hope I'll be able toperform at my best in 2020."

The Paralympic mascot Someity, who loves nature and whose name was taken from a popular variety ofcherry blossom, unveiled a giant flower arrangement on the stage. In the shape of the number two,symbolising the number of years until the commencement of the Games, the arrangement was createdwith a variety of flowers symbolising the core Paralympic values of courage, determination, inspirationand equality, as well as the English phrase "so mighty", representing the trait in Someity’s character that helped inspire its name.

IPC President Andrew Parsons outlined his expectations for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in avideo address, commenting, "Today marks 2 years to go to the Opening Ceremony of the ParalympicGames in Tokyo 2020. I have no doubt these will be an exciting Games, a technological Games and anengaging Games. Japan will demonstrate its omotenashi, traditional Japanese hospitality, and you willhelp to bring the whole world together. I have no doubt that in the Opening Ceremony, I will be able tosay that these are probably the best Paralympic Games ever."

The area adjoining the stage, named the "Dream Plaza", was decorated with ornamental flower bedsdepicting the Paralympic symbol "three Agitos" in red, blue and green. The Tokyo MetropolitanGovernment building and 12 other buildings around Tokyo were also lit up in the colours of "threeAgitos", illuminating the night sky in celebration of the anniversary.

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