The Ceremony, which took place at midday here, saw more than 1,000 athletes from over 70 countries parade through the streets of Christchurch in a short march from Worcester Street Bridge to Cathedral Square.

The event was open to all the public to view and ended up attracting a huge amount of interested spectators who were roaming the area.

Upon their arrival at Cathedral Square, the athletes and the VIP officials, including Key, were greeted by a Powhiri, a traditional and action packed Maori welcome, before the New Zealand national flag was raised and the national anthem performed.

Speaking to the assembled crowd, Key, who is also Patron of the Championships, said: "This is the first time that the International Paralympic Committee
Athletics World Championships has been held outside of Europe and we are very proud to be hosting.

"I welcome you all to New Zealand for what will be a fantastic few weeks of competition.

"I now declare the Christchurch 2011 International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships open."

In the next speech, IPC vice-president Greg Hartung stressed the importance of these Championships to the athletes.

"For some athletes, this will be their first time major international competition," said Hartung.

"For others, it will be the pinnacle of their career.

"However, for most it will be a giant step towards the London 2012 Paralympic Games which open in just over 18 months.

"This is the last major gathering of international athletes before the London Games and we can expect to see some stunning performances over the next nine days as athletes set the bar for what we can expect in 2012."

Hartung also praised the people of Christchurch who endured a major 7.0 magnitude earthquake in early September 2010 and have experienced a number of aftershocks since, including several which took place yesterday.

"I am mindful that this is the first major event to be hosted by this city since September's earthquake," said Hartung.

"It is a testament to the spirit, the determination and resilience of the people of Christchurch that this event is going ahead as planned.

"To the people of New Zealand and particularly of Christchurch I extend the thanks, appreciation and admiration of the whole Paralympic Movement."

Also speaking at the Official Opening was Fiona Pickering, chair of the Organising Committee and chief executive of Paralympics New Zealand, who talked about the importance of holding the World Championships outside of Europe for the first time.

"This is the biggest Paralympic sporting event to be held in Oceania since the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games," said Pickering.

"For the growth of the Paralympic Movement it is vital that prestigious events such as these Championships are held in different locations around the world and we are delighted that they are to be held here in Christchurch.

"One in seven people in New Zealand's population of four million has some sort of impairment and an event of this scale will help change perceptions of what can be achieved by people with an impairment."

Pickering also thanked the IPC for awarding the Championships to New Zealand.

"These World Championships will act as a springboard to the development of Paralympic sport in this country and it is hoped that we will reap the benefits for years to come."

The first events of the World Championships will take place at the 20,000 capacity QEII Stadium on tomorrow from 09.00 local time and will run until January 30.

Slow ticket sales however, continue to trouble the event with fewer than 5,000 tickets having been purchased.

Event manager Neil Blanchfield said ticket sales had improved in the past week but were still "a little disappointing."

"The big thing is people have been noticing the athletes in the city, with the multi-coloured clothing and the wheelchairs, and are starting to pick up that there is something special on," he said.

Blanchfield predicted a late surge on tickets.

"We expect that once the competition begins, people will come out, especially with having two sessions each day," he said.

"If you're working, you can still come out at three or four in the afternoon and get four hours of competition in."

Tickets for the event can be purchased the day from the stadium ticket office for just NZ$10 (£4.80) per adult.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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