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![The Paralympics are traditionally held after the Olympic Games conclude [Xinhua]](http://thebricspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/258478777_8-e1473295909846.jpg)
The Paralympics are traditionally held after the Olympic Games conclude [Xinhua]
Newly appointed Brazilian President Michel Temer was there to inaugurate the ceremony, while protests against his appointment broke out in multiple cities across the country.
Meanwhile, the opening ceremony lasted for three hours and operated under the motto “everybody has a heart,” Marcelo Paiva, one of the directors, told Xinhua.
The games will host over 4,000 athletes hailing from over 160 countries including Palestine and Faroe Islands – both recognized by the International Paralympic Committee and not the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – to compete in 528 medal events in 22 different sports.
During the ceremony, the Syrian delegation was met with thunderous applause, while the Belarusian party appeared to be waving a Russian flag in protest over the ban on Russian athletes at the games after accusations of doping.
The IOC has said that its President Thomas Bach was not present at the ceremony and has said that he will not be attending any of the Paralympic Game.
This is, however, the first time since 1984 that an IOC President has skipped the Paralympic Games.
The games are set to last until September 18.
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
