Japan’s emperor declared the Tokyo Paralympics open in a nearly empty stadium yesterday, with athletes ready to defy stereotypes and shatter records despite a year-long pandemic delay.

Emperor Naruhito made the announcement surrounded by banks of vacant multi-coloured seats at Tokyo’s 68,000-capacity Olympic Stadium, with virus rules banning spectators from almost all Games events.

“I declare open the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games,” he said, wearing a white surgical mask.

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Meanwhile Team Nigeria will today begin their quest for medals in the table tennis event of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in Japan.

Six athletes including Sydney 2000 gold medallists Tajudeen Agunbiade and Olufemi Alabi will be competing in table tennis event which begins today.

Agunbiade is aiming to repeat his 2000 Sydney gold history at the Tokyo Games, but admitted that his greatest competitor is Belgium’s Laurens Devos, Rio 2016 gold medallist, but training with a range of capable athletes has helped him improve. The African champion will face silver medallist of the 2017 World Championships Ukraine’s Ivan Mai in class nine while Ahmed Koleosho will battle Germany’s Thomas Bruechle in class.