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The 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games began on Tuesday night [within / with] the opening ceremony [to / at] Japan's National Stadium. The twelve-day sporting celebration [inclusive / includes] a total of 539 events in 22 para sports. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said a [totally / total] of 161 countries and 4,500 para athletes are taking [part / partner] in the Games. This includes the Refugee Paralympic Team. The opening ceremony [gave / took] place in an empty stadium. Japan's Emperor Naruhito opened the Games. He said: "I would like to [joint / join] you in wishing all athletes the very best." The IPC president said: "The Paralympics are not just [fantastic / fantastically] to watch, they also have the [ability / able] to transform society like no other sports event [in / on] this planet."

The Games should have taken place [lasted / last] year but were postponed because of [a / the] coronavirus pandemic. The IPC president Andrew Parsons spoke about his happiness [at / of] the event finally happening. He said: "I cannot believe we are [final / finally] here. Many people [doubled / doubted] this day would happen. Many thought it was impossible. But, thanks to the efforts of [much / many] , the most transformative sport event on Earth is about to [beginning / begin] ." A 14-year-old Ugandan swimmer, Husnah Kukundakwe, summed [up / down] her excitement about being at the Games. She said: "I feel like I'm meeting movie [suns / stars] ." She added: "Since it's the Paralympics and everybody else [is / be] disabled, I feel really comfortable."