The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the Games of the Paralympiad, is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, have been held shortly after the corresponding Olympic Games. All Paralympic Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Christopher Katongo is a Zambian former professional footballer who played as a striker. At international level, he amassed over 100 caps between 2003 and 2016 for the Zambia national team. He is an Africa Cup of Nations winner and won the BBC's African Footballer of the Year award in 2012, winning just over 40% of the public vote. His win is stated to have inspired a number of young players in Zambia.
Vietnam competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. It is the 13th summer games in which the nation has competed since its first appearance in 1952. Although it has sent a modest delegation every year it has competed, Vietnam had only earned one Olympic medal before Beijing. The Vietnam Olympic Committee sent thirteen athletes to compete in eight of the 28 Olympic sports. It is the largest ever contingent for the nation, up from 11 in the 2004 games.
Rwanda sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The country was represented by a single athlete. Jean de Dieu Nkundabera, who won a bronze medal in the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, competed in the 800 metre wheelchair sprint.
Vietnam competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The country was represented by nine athletes, competing in powerlifting, athletics, swimming and judo. Two of the athletes, powerlifters Dinh Thi Nga and Le Van Cong, qualified for the Paralympics through their showings at international competitions, while the other seven team members were given wild card invitations. The head of the delegation was Vu The Phiet. The group left for Beijing following a departure ceremony on August 22 in Hanoi.
Kenya competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The country's delegation consisted of thirteen competitors captained by three-time Paralympic gold medalist Henry Wanyoike. Also on the team was javelin thrower Mary Nakhumicha. Wanyoike competed in the 5000 metres, 10000 metres, and the marathon.
Botswana was due to a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.
Zimbabwe competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. The country's delegation consisted of two track and field athletes, Elliot Mujaji and Molene Muza. Mujaji is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, having won the 100 metre T46 event in 2000 and 2004, while Muza competed in the Paralympic Games for the first time. In the days leading up to the games, the pair trained at the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo under coach Remigio Mumbire, however a lack of money threatened to cut the training camp short. The group planned to leave for Beijing on 28 August and arrive two days later.
Malta competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China from 6 to 17 September 2008. This was the island nation's seventh appearance at a Summer Paralympic Games since their debut in 1960, but their first since the 1984 Summer Paralympics 24 years earlier. Antonio Flores, a runner, was the only athlete to represent Malta at the Games, having qualified via the 2008 British Open Athletics Championships. At the Paralympics, Flores did not qualify for the final of the men's 100 metres T44 event after placing 11th overall in the competition and fifth in his heat during the heat stages; the fastest four participants in his heat advanced to the final.
Chile competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. The country's delegation consisted of four competitors: two wheelchair tennis players, one track and field athlete, and one swimmer. Other members of the delegation included the President of the Paralympic Federation of Chile, Mario Quijada, the Mission Chief, Patricio Bowen, and Doctor Alberto Vargas. The group left for Beijing on September 1. Tennis player Robinson Méndez was the country's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.
André Brasil Esteves is a Paralympic swimmer from Brazil. He had poliomyelitis as a child. He competes in the S10 classification.
Supachai Koysub is an athlete and Paralympian from Thailand competing mainly in category T54 sprint events.
Huang Lisha is a Paralympian athlete from China competing mainly in category T53 wheelchair sprint events.
Liu Wenjun is a Paralympian athlete from China competing mainly in category T54 wheelchair sprint and middle-distance events.
Zhou Hongzhuan is a Chinese Paralympic athlete competing mainly in category T53 sprint and mid-distance events.
Zambia made its Paralympic Games debut at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, with a single athlete competing in men's track and field. In 2000, Zambia had two representatives, once more in track and field. The country was absent from the 2004 Games, but sent one representative in 2008.
El Salvador first competed in the Paralympic Games at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, Australia. It has participated in the Summer Paralympic Games every four years since that time. El Salvador has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics, and until Tokyo 2020, no Salvadorian had won a Paralympic medal. In 2021, Herbert Aceituno became the first athlete to win a medal, earning bronze in powerlifting at the 59 kg category.
Sergey Valentinovich Shilov is a Russian cross-country skier, biathlete, and six-time Paralympic Champion.
Matthew Cameron is an Australian Paralympic athletics competitor. He competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics. At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, he won a bronze medal.
Kathryn 'Katy' Parrish is an Australian athletics competitor. She was selected to represent at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games 2008 Summer Paralympics and at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in athletics in the 4 × 100 metre relay, 100 metres, 200 metres and long jump events.
