10 eligible impairments

Event categories are organized around 10 types of physical, vision and intellectual impairments recognised by the International Paralympic Committee. Eight of these are physical, such as impaired muscle power or involuntary movements caused by conditions like cerebral palsy. Also on the list are muscle tension, short stature and the partial or total absence of a limb from birth, or as a consequence of trauma or illness.

21 venues

Paralympic venues range from the Olympic Stadium to the historic Nippon Budokan and state-of-the-art new arenas like the Tokyo Aquatics Center. Most are in the capital and neighboring regions, while cycling events will take place at two venues near Mount Fuji in Shizuoka, southwest of Tokyo. Some Olympic venues will be used for different sports at the Paralympics, like the Ariake Gymnastics Center, which will host boccia.

4 billion viewers

Like the Olympics, the Paralympics will mostly be held in empty stadiums, with spectators banned over virus fears. But organizers hope to reach a massive TV audience worldwide. "We believe we will reach more than 4 billion people through broadcasting," IPC chief Andrew Parsons said. A record 4.1 billion cumulative viewers tuned in to the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, up from the 3.8 billion who watched London 2012, the IPC says. This year, free-to-air coverage will be provided to 49 territories in sub-Saharan Africa, to grow the Games' global audience and tackle disability stigma.

5,000 medals

Around 5,000 gold, silver and bronze Paralympic medals have been produced for the Games, featuring the words "Tokyo 2020" written in Braille. Like the Olympic medals, they are made from recycled metals extracted from consumer electronic items donated by people in Japan. China has topped the gold-medal table at every Paralympic Games since Athens 2004.

AFP