Two sportsmen represent Tatarstan at the Paralympics-2010 – prize-winning Irina Polyakova and novice Rushan Minnegulov.

(Kazan, March 12, Tatar-inform). The 10th Winter Paralympics open in Vancouver today. The ceremony takes place on BC Place ice arena today.

The Russian team’s banner-bearer will be 9-time Paralympics champion, skier Valery Kupchinsky.

Some 300 thousand sportsmen will participate in the competitions out of almost 50 hundred countries. They will compete for medals in five sports – alpine skiing, biathlon, curling, cross-country skiing and ice hockey, “Russia 24” reports.

Two athletes represent Tatarstan at the Paralympics-2010 – prize-winning Irina Polyakova and novice Rushan Minnegulov. Both Tatarstan sportsmen will participate in the skiing and biathlon competitions. It is the fourth Games in Irina Polyakova’s career. The athlete won the following medals in team rating: silver of Salt-Lake City and gold of Turin. 17-year-old Rushan Minnegulov from Saby Region of the republic is participating in the Paralympics for the first time.

Russian Paralympic Committee President, Ombudsman for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Vladimir Lukin and Secretary General of the Russian Paralympic Committee, the State Duma deputy, Paralympic champion Mikhail Terentyev head the Russian delegation in Vancouver.

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