INTERNATIONAL: One of the best Paralympic Games anyone remembers came to an end in Tokyo on Sunday night. 12 days of competition by athletes from around the world have seen world records smashed, and new personal bests set. The games also passed off without a major Covid outbreak, with Japan successfully hosting back-to-back events inside a well-managed bubble.

Once again, television rights being what they are for the Olympics and Paralympics, the fireworks are all we can show you of the closing ceremony. The fireworks lit up the Tokyo night sky, with crowds of spectators whipping out their phones to capture the moment. No spectators inside the stadium though, with the Paralympics, like the Olympics, being held in a city under a pandemic state of emergency.

However, the International Paralympic Committee has hailed the games as “historic and fantastic”. It says the closing ceremony is an “opening to a bright and inclusive future." The next Paralympic games will take place in Paris in 2024.

^{Photo: PEOPLE GATHERING OUTSIDE OF THE NATIONAL STADIUM FOR CLOSING CEREMONY OF TOKYO 2020 PARALYMPICS, FIREWORKS DISPLAY AT NATIONAL STADIUM, SOUNDBITES FROM LOCAL PEOPLE ABOUT TOKYO 2020 PARALYMPICS}