Roughly two weeks after the Olympic flame has been extinguished at the Bird's Nest Stadium, Beijing will again be hosting another international sports event of equal importance. No, Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Yao Ming and company won't be there this time. However, I am sure there will be other athletes who will grab the spotlight as they did, breaking world records, attaining lifelong dreams and captivating their own legions of fans. Using the same facilities that were used in the 2008 Olympics (with some modified to suit athletes with disabilities), the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games (aka 2008 Beijing Paralympics) will open on September 06, 2008.

when 2008 paralympics games start

The Paralympic Games (aka Paralympics) is an elite sports event for athletes with physical, mental and sensory disabilities and was first introduced in 1948 during the opening of the
London Olympic Games. Conceived by Dr. Ludwig Guttman, it was created as an extension of his rehabilitation program for World War II veterans with spinal injuries. The name Paralympics was originally derived from a combination of the words "paraplegic" and "Olympics" but has since been re-classified as a combination of the word "parallel" and "Olympics" because of its association with the Olympic Games and also due to the fact that athletes with disabilities other than spinal have been included in the event. (The are sometimes confused with the Special Olympics World Games, which are only for people with intellectual disabilities).

when 2008 paralympics games begin

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The first games, a competition between hospitals and sports clubs, took place at Stoke Mandeville on the opening day of the 1948 London Olympic Games. Thereafter they increased in size and scope, and at Rome 1960, the International Stoke Mandeville Games, as they had become known, attracted 400 athletes from 23 countries. Until 1972 the games were limited to wheelchair-bound athletes, but 1976 events for amputees and the blind were introduced, and since then the games have gradually been expanded to include athletes with other disabilities, from cerebral palsy to learning difficulties. The 1988 games at Seoul were the first truly ‘parallel’ games, with several events taking place at the Olympic stadium, and also the first both to receive extensive media attention and to attract large crowds. At Sydney 2000 3,824 athletes from 122 countries competed in sports ranging from athletics, swimming, basketball, and archery to specially-devised games such as goalball for the blind.

The following sports will be in the program at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games (2008 Paralympics) this year, with 4,200 athletes from 148 countries participating. As hosts, China is expected to field the biggest delegation as in the Summer Olympic Games. Will they also dominate the medal standings?

Beijing 2008 Paralympics Sports Events

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Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games (Paralympics) schedule

	Opening ceremony		Event competitions		Event finals		Closing ceremony

September	6th Sa	7th Su	8th M	9th Tu	10th W	11th Th	12th F	13th Sa	14th Su	15th M	16th Tu	17th W
Archery
Athletics
Boccia
Cycling
Equestrian
Football (soccer) 5-a-side
Football (soccer) 7-a-side
Goalball
Judo
Powerlifting
Rowing
Sailing
Shooting
Swimming
Table tennis
Volleyball
Wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair fencing
Wheelchair rugby
Wheelchair tennis
Ceremonies
September	6th Sa	7th Su	8th M	9th Tu	10th W	11th Th	12th F	13th Sa	14th Su	15th M	16th Tu	17th W