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A record number of National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) are expected to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, and according to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), 82 percent of athlete seats have now been awarded for the Games.
On Monday (June 14), 3602 qualifying points and 61 universal wildcards have been awarded to 22 sports.
All qualifications are divided into nine sports – bocce, kayaking, horse riding, football, paintball, taekwondo, seat volleyball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby.
Badminton, cycling, rowing, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair fences and wheelchair tennis, only bilateral invitations have yet to be shared.
Bilateral starting points are granted to ensure greater representation at many levels and to ensure the participation of top-level athletes who are not qualified beyond the methods.
To date, 168 NPCs have been allocated at least one berth in Tokyo 2020.
The record number of countries competing for the Paralympics was 164 in London in 2012 – which means that if all NPCs with seats send a team, the record will be broken.
“10 weeks after the inauguration of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, we are well on course in terms of qualifications,” said Colleen Wrenn, CEO of IPC Paralympics.
“International federations need to be given a huge credit agreement not only for having organized qualification events in the last 16 months, but also by doing so safely.
“Securing 168 NPCs for participation is an excellent result so far, which will of course take us to set a new record for global participation in games.
“Some NPCs want to compete in games for the first time, highlighting the growing power, scope and depth of the Paralympic movement.
“We now hope that all NPCs will take their seats and jokers and ensure that Tokyo 2020 is a record-breaking game.”
Skills continue in archery, athletics, judo, powerlifting, shooting and triathlon.
The IPC is also exploring the possibility of classifying 10 sports in Tokyo.
COVID-19 has a bad effect on ranking, as the lack of international competitions means that many athletes are not rated.
“It’s fair to say that the pandemic has wreaked havoc on classification opportunities around the world over the past 16 months,” Wrenn added.
“We are now trying to work with international federations and the NPC to classify as many athletes as possible before the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
“Despite this, it is clear that some athletes still need to be classified in Tokyo before the games.
“While this isn’t ideal, it’s a situation we’re facing.”
The IPC estimates that more than 80 percent of athletes will be vaccinated before the Paralympics, held August 24-September 5.
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