TThe Paris 2024 Paralympic Games get underway tonight, with the Opening Ceremony at 8pm local time. The Games will feature 4,400 athletes representing 184 delegations competing in 22 different sports, including two – goalball and boccia – that are unique to the Paralympic Games and have no Olympic equivalent.

Here are some of the most anticipated events at this year’s Games. A full schedule is available on the Paralympics website.

Read more: The origins of the Paralympic Games during World War II

Wheelchair rugby, also known as “Murderball”

Wheelchair rugby, which combines elements of basketball, handball and rugby, is one of the most high-impact sports at the Paralympics, with players often slashing each other’s wheelchair tires and occasionally flipping each other’s wheelchairs. The sport is often referred to as “murderball” and athletes have some form of disability in all four of their limbs.

Spectators can watch the preliminary rounds throughout the day on August 29, 30 and 31. The official schedule for wheelchair rugby events is available on the Paralympic Games website.

Blind Football

Blind Football is a version of soccer adapted for athletes with visual impairments. The ball has a bell inside it, so athletes must use their hearing to locate the ball and orient themselves. Each team has four outfielders and one goalie. All outfielders must be visually impaired to participate, while the goalie usually has full vision. Brazil has traditionally dominated Blind Football, winning every gold medal since the sport debuted at the Paralympics in 2004.

The first preliminary rounds will take place during the day on September 1. More information about Blind Football events can be found on the Paralympics website.

Para Athletics

The men’s and women’s para-athletics events, which consist of track and field events adapted for Paralympic athletes, will feature some of the most famous athletes at the Games. Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner, the five-time reigning world champion in the women’s 400-meter T53 wheelchair race, will race on September 5 at 6 p.m. local time. Another name to watch is Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira, who broke the world record for the fastest 100-meter dash for a para-athlete in March 2022 with a time of 10:29 seconds. He will compete in that race during the Paralympic Games on Friday, August 30 at 10 a.m. local time.

The first events start on August 30th. More information can be found here.

Goal ball

Goalball is a team sport unique to the Paralympics and designed specifically for athletes with visual impairments. Athletes compete to score points by rolling the ball, which contains a bell, into their opponents’ net on the other side of the court. Players on the opposing team use both their hands and feet to block the ball from scoring. Goalball is played in complete silence.

The men’s and women’s Goalball tournaments begin on August 29 and run until September 5. For more information on which Goalball teams are playing and when, visit the Paralympics website.

Boccia

Boccia is also unique to the Paralympics and is the fastest growing sport within the Paralympic movement. It is played by athletes who compete in wheelchairs and have a disability that affects their motor skills, such as cerebral palsy. Athletes take turns rolling, throwing or kicking small colored balls. Athletes try to roll their balls as close as possible to the white ball, also known as “the jack.” The game is played with extreme precision and calipers are used to measure the distance between the balls and ensure fair play.

The Boccia competitions will be held from August 29 to September 5. For more information on Boccia events, visit the Paralympics website here.