CHINA will send a contingent of 251 athletes to compete at the upcoming Tokyo Paralympic Games, the China Disabled Persons’ Federation announced in Beijing yesterday.

The Chinese Paralympians, of which 132 are female and 119 are male, will compete in 20 of the 22 sports on the Tokyo 2020 program, including debut Paralympic sports taekwondo and badminton, the record for most sports China has competed in at an overseas Games.

“Our goal is to compete safely, show good spirits, strive for success and promote friendship,” Zhang Haidi, Chinese chef de mission and the chairperson of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, said at a ceremony held in Beijing to mark the launch of the Chinese squad for Tokyo 2020.

China’s Tokyo-bound Paralympians come from various occupations, such as workers, farmers, students, civil servants and business owners. Their average age is 27.5 years old, with 16-year-old swimmer Jiang Yuyan the youngest and 56-year-old table tennis player Zhao Ping the oldest.

All of the Chinese delegation have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the China Disabled Persons’ Federation.

Around 4,400 athletes from about 160 countries and regions are expected to take part in the Tokyo Paralympic Games, which will open Aug. 24 and run through to Sept. 5.

Meanwhile, all fans will be barred from the Paralympics because of the coronavirus pandemic, just as they were from the recently-completed Tokyo Olympics, organizers said Monday.

There were a few exceptions made during the Olympics with some fans allowed in outlying areas away from Tokyo. This time, all fans will be barred except the possibility of some children attending a few unspecified events.

Organizers have also asked the public not to come out to view road events.

The decision was announced after a meeting with International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons, organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa.

New infections in Tokyo tripled during the 17 days of the Olympics, although medical experts said the surge was not directly linked to the Tokyo Games. (SD-Xinhua)