2016 World ParaVolley Intercontinental Kicks off with World Class Opening Ceremony

The 2016 World ParaVolley Intercontinental Sitting Volleyball Championship officially got underway on the evening of March 16th with a brilliant, world class opening ceremony.  The ceremony featured excellent speeches from a variety of dignitaries, magnificent performances from a variety of Art Troupes from the region, a march in by athletes from all participating nations, and a wonderful message from Sir Philip Craven, the President of the International Paralympic Committee.

 

 

The event began with welcoming speeches from local dignitaries and World ParaVolley President Mr. Barry Couzner.  The speeches concluded with all special guests placing their hands on a huge illuminated ball in the middle of the stage, which then began to spin and became the centrepiece of a dazzling light show.  Once the crowd stopped cheering, the variety show began with a performance by the Zheijiang Disabled Art troupe presenting a spoken word and dance piece called Greetings, Shiny Stars, and progressed through a dynamic dance performance – ‘Totem of Bamboo’ – of a dragon through a bamboo forest, and the ‘Thousand Hand Kwan-Yin’. The full program can be viewed here.

 

 

World ParaVolley would like to thank all of the following organizations who were instrumental in putting sponsoring and organizing the performance:

  • The National Paralympic Committee of China
  • The Disabled Persons’ Federation of Zhejiang Province
  • The Anji Municipal Government
  • The National Goalball Training Base
  • The Zejiang Welfare Lottery Centre
  • The Disabled Persons’ Federation of Anji Town
  • The Administration of Sport of Anji Town

And also the amazing performers:

  • Zhejiang Disabled Art Troupe
  • Tongxing Disabled Art Troupe of Anji Town
  • Minmin Chen, Xuesong Zhang, Kai Zeng