The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the 13th Summer Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. It was first time the new Paralympic logo featured in the Summer Paralympics since its rebranding after the 2004 Summer Paralympics.
Pakistan competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The country sent 21 athletes, including two women. The men's field hockey team comprised 16 players out of the Pakistani delegation.
China was the host of the 2008 Summer Paralympics, held in Beijing. China's delegation included 547 people, of whom 332 were competitors. The athletes, 197 men and 135 women, ranged in age from 15 to 51 and competed in all twenty sports. 226 of the competitors participated in the Paralympic Games for the first time. The delegation was the largest in Chinese history and at the 2008 Games. China topped the medal count at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens. China dominated the medal count winning the most gold, silver, bronze, and total medals by a wide margin in Beijing.
Papua New Guinea sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The country was represented by two athletes, Francis Kompaon and Joyleen Jeffrey, both competing in track and field. The country had requested wildcard entries, but the request was turned down by the Beijing Paralympic organisers.
Iraq sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. Twenty Iraqis qualified to compete in the Games, in fields including powerlifting, athletics, and volleyball.
Canada sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. 143 Canadian athletes competed in 17 sports. Canada also sent several officials to the games, including Tara Grieve in boccia and Andrew Smith in rowing. Canada finished seventh on the medal table at the Beijing games after finishing third on the medal table at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. Swimmer Donovan Tildesley, a world record-holder and medalist at the 2000 and 2004 Paralympics, was the country's flag bearer at the opening ceremony. The delegation is headed by Chef de Mission Debbie Low.
Zambia competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. The country's delegation consisted of a single athlete, middle-distance runner Larson Katongo. The 21-year-old Katongo, who is visually impaired, participated in the 800 metre and 1500 metre events. Although he had competed in international meets before, this was his first Paralympic Games. Katongo's trainer is Paul Mwansa.
The United Arab Emirates competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. The Emirati delegation consisted of 24 people, of whom eight were competitors: six athletes, one powerlifter and one sport shooter. Other members of the delegation included representatives of the country's Athletes with Special Needs organization, led by Abdul Razak Ahmed al Rasheed. The Emirati team was sponsored by the Abu Dhabi-based Union National Bank.
Angola sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. The country was represented by five athletes, all competing in track and field.
Russia sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China that won a total of 63 medals: 18 gold, 23 silver and 22 bronze.
Egypt sent a delegation to compete at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, Australia. Egyptian athletes won six gold medals, twelve silver and ten bronze, enabling their country to finish 23rd out of 123 on the medal table. Athletics and powerlifting were equally successful, with each sport giving 3 gold medals each to Egypt.
Azerbaijan competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. The country's delegation consisted of eighteen competitors in four sports: judo, athletics, powerlifting, and shooting.
Bosnia and Herzegovina sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. It was their fourth appearance in the Paralympic Games. Bosnian athletes competed in athletics, shooting and volleyball.
This article contains notable highlights from the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China.
Haider Ali is an all-around Pakistani para-athlete who created history at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China by winning Pakistan's first ever Paralympic games medal, a silver. He also shared a new world record with his jump of 6.44 meters at the Games. He has competed at the Paralympics on four occasions in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. He has the unique record of winning a country's first ever Paralympic gold, silver and bronze medals as he is the only Pakistani to have won a medal in Paralympic history. On 3 September 2021, he became the first gold medalist for Pakistan at the Paralympics.
The 2008 Summer Paralympics closing ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It began at 8:00 pm China Standard Time (UTC+8) on September 17, 2008. The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture.
The National Olympic Committee of Pakistan was created in 1948. Pakistan first participated at the Paralympic Games in 1992, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Paralympic Games since then. Pakistan has won three medals, a silver, a bronze and a gold medal in the Paralympic Games. All three medals have come courtesy of Haider Ali in the Men's Long Jump and Discus Throw events. Pakistan has never participated in the Winter Paralympic Games.
Bahrain made its Paralympic Games début the same year as its Olympic début, at the 1984 Summer Paralympics in Stoke Mandeville and New York City, sending a delegation to compete in athletics. The country has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics, but has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics.
Ukraine made its Paralympic Games début at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, with thirty athletes competing in archery, track and field, powerlifting, swimming, and sitting volleyball. Vasyl Lishchynskyy won Ukraine's first Paralympic gold medal, in the shot put, and Ukrainians also won four silver medals and two bronze. Ukrainians had previously participated within the Soviet Union's delegation in 1988, and as part of the Unified Team in 1992. Ukraine, following its independence from the Soviet Union, missed out on the 1994 Winter Games, but made its Winter Paralympics début at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano. Ukraine has competed at every edition of the Summer and Winter Games since then and have done so with remarkable success.
Pakistan competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 7 to 18 September 2016. The country's participation in Rio marked its seventh appearance in the quadrennial event. The delegation consisted of the long jump competitor Haider Ali who qualified for the Games by meeting the required standards for the men's long jump T37 in a March 2016 event held in Dubai. On 13 September, he won Pakistan's second Paralympic medal with a mark of 6.28 metres in his event, placing him third.
