Rio unveils Paralympic torch relay route

Brazil's Paralympic torch relay route will include one city in each of Brazil's five geographical regions before ending at the Maracana stadium for the opening ceremony on September 7, organisers said.

The torch will will arrive in the capital Brasilia (central west region) on September 1 before stopping in Belem (north), Natal (northeast), Joinville (south) and Sao Paulo (southeast) in the next five days, the organisers said on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The opening ceremony's creative directors will be plastic artist Vik Muniz, writer Marcelo Rubens Paiva and designer Fred Gelli.

The ceremony will feature performances from six samba artists: Monarco, Teresa Cristina, Hamilton de Holanda, Diogo Nogueira, Xande de Pilares and Pretinha da Serrinha.

Organisers did not reveal details but it is understood Muniz is working on a giant artistic structure that will be unveiled on the Maracana turf.

The Rio 2016 organising committee said that 720,000 tickets to the Paralympics had been sold with 2.5 million still available.

Ticket prices start at less than $3 and can be purchased on the official Rio 2016 website or via authorised resellers.

Sports that have attracted the most interest from fans so far are athletics, wheelchair basketball, goalball, swimming and wheelchair rugby.

--IANS

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