The 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games have started. There will be 539 events in 22 sports over 12 days. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said there are 161 countries and 4,500 para athletes. Japan's emperor wished all athletes "the very best". The IPC said the Paralympics were fantastic and could change society.

The IPC said: "Thanks to the efforts of many people, the most transformative sport event on Earth is about to begin." A 14-year-old swimmer was excited. She said: "I feel like I'm meeting movie stars." She added: "Since it's the Paralympics and everybody else is disabled, I feel really comfortable."