1960 saw the first ever Paralympic Games staged. For each Olympics the IOC receives bids from different nations to host the Olympic Games, and the winning country is then responsible for organising and funding the event according to the Olympic Charter. This includes the Paralympic Games event, which is held just after the Olympic Games. Each of the Games has its own opening and closing ceremony, which is held in the hoist country’s main athletics stadium. The Olympic flag is hoisted and the Olympic torch lit to officially mark the start of each of the competitions.
The idea of the Paralympic Games is that they are parallel to the Olympics Games, and the word Para comes from the Greek, meaning Alongside. Every four years all physically disabled athletes have their own Olympics Games, just after the regular Olympic Games. Betting is however, far from equal in intensity to the regular Olympics.
Betting on Sports Events
Certainly the Paralympic Games have their own stars who attract a lot of attention, and who are expected to bring their home country gold medals. Bookmakers agree that betting on the games does not bring a huge amount of business. This is not because people are wary of placing bets on the Paralympic athletes, but because so many of them are not very well known to the public, and certainly not at Usain Bolt levels.
Sports betting in NZ is becoming ever more popular, with the huge variety of sports events taking place every day, and betting on athletics events is no different. It is wise to find out details regarding the events and the athletes themselves before choosing to place a wager.
The Second Biggest Games in Rio
The last Paralympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro earlier this year will be remembered for the passion and enthusiasm that characterise the Brazilian people, and made them the second largest Paralympic Games ever, second only to the London Games in 2012. Some two million tickets were sold, and compelling television, radio, print and online coverage was given to the games. In total, eighty three countries win at least one medal, the most ever at a Paralympic Games. The Paralympic Games in Rio will be remembered as the Games of Possibility, as they show that disabled people can achieve incredible results, if they receive the right support.
Games to be held in Tokyo in 2020
The new athletic talents that made their appearance at the Rio Paralympic Games suggest that the momentum will continue to build on to the Tokyo Games that will be held in four years’ time. Japanese broadcasters in particular were among those devoting an increasing amount of air time to the Paralympic Games in Rio, which augurs well for the sixteenth Paralympic Games to be held in Tokyo in 2020 alongside the regular Olympics.
This will be the second time Japan has hosted the Paralympic Games, as they were first hosted there in 1964, when Japan held the Summer Olympics in that year. The Games in 2020 will be held in Tokyo from 25 August to 6 September of that year. These games will see the introduction of taekwondo and badminton to the Paralympic programme, and the removal of seven a side football and sailing.
The sports programme will be run by experts, and is intended to support these disabled athletes in their future careers, both on and off the field of play. Topics covered will include ideas on healthy lifestyles, all the latest information on anti-doping, illegal betting, injury prevention and life after sport.