Returning Paralympic athletes meet fans in Brussels
The Belgian athletes who took part in the Paralympic Games in Paris were warmly welcomed by supporters on Monday at the Bourse in central Brussels.
Team Belgium bagged 14 medals - seven gold, four silver and three bronze - at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, which took place from 28 August to 8 September. On Monday, the athletes were invited on the steps of the Bourse to meet their supporters.
In total, 25 of the 29 team's athletes were present. Gold medalists Léa Bayekula, Maxime Carabin and Laurens Devos were the last to make their appearance.
“It is very nice, it shows that there is interest in us,” said Devos, who secured a third consecutive Paralympic table tennis title in Paris. “It's a unique moment. We can thank the people who came to applaud and congratulate us.”
The athletes were received in the recently renovated Bourse building by Brussels mayor Philippe Close, Brussels alderman for sport Benoit Hellings, minister for people with disabilities Karine Lalieux, secretary-general of the Belgian Paralympic Committee Dominique Gavage and director of the National Lottery Jannie Haek.
Belgium's Paralympic team at a ceremony in Brussels following their return from the Paris Games © BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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