Jackie Chan to Carry Torch Ahead of Paralympic Opening Ceremony 

Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan sings on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) in Beijing, on April 21, 2023. (AFP)
Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan sings on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) in Beijing, on April 21, 2023. (AFP)
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Jackie Chan to Carry Torch Ahead of Paralympic Opening Ceremony 

Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan sings on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) in Beijing, on April 21, 2023. (AFP)
Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan sings on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) in Beijing, on April 21, 2023. (AFP)

Hong Kong-born martial arts actor Jackie Chan was named on Sunday as one of the torchbearers in the lead-up to the opening ceremony of the Paralympics in Paris.

The 70-year-old, known for his stunts and acrobatic fight scenes, will carry the flame on Wednesday afternoon in the French capital just hours before the opening ceremony, the organizing committee announced.

French actress Elsa Zylberstein, and dancer/choreographer Benjamin Millepied will also take part in the torch relay.

As with the Olympic opening ceremony, Wednesday's event will take place beyond the confines of the Stade de France, with a parade down the Champs-Elysees to the Place de la Concorde in central Paris.

The flame, which was lit on Saturday in Stoke Mandeville in the UK, the historic birthplace of the Paralympic Games, arrived in France via the Channel Tunnel on Sunday, carried by wheelchair fencing medalist Emmanuelle Assmann.

"It's all about inscribing sport in the hearts of people with disabilities," said French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera who was on hand to welcome the flame, alongside Tony Estanguet, head of the organizing committee.

The flame was due to continue its journey where it would be "multiplied" into 12 Paralympic flames, which will be carried by 1,000 torchbearers in around 50 towns, in 12 simultaneous relays.

These 12 relays will converge on Paris, where the flame will arrive on Wednesday for the opening ceremony.



Double Injury Blow for Bayern as Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano Both Sidelined

France's defender #04 Dayot Upamecano celebrates after scoring the winning penalty in the penalty-shoot out during the UEFA Nations League quarter-final second-leg football match between France and Croatia at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on March 23, 2025. (AFP)
France's defender #04 Dayot Upamecano celebrates after scoring the winning penalty in the penalty-shoot out during the UEFA Nations League quarter-final second-leg football match between France and Croatia at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on March 23, 2025. (AFP)
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Double Injury Blow for Bayern as Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano Both Sidelined

France's defender #04 Dayot Upamecano celebrates after scoring the winning penalty in the penalty-shoot out during the UEFA Nations League quarter-final second-leg football match between France and Croatia at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on March 23, 2025. (AFP)
France's defender #04 Dayot Upamecano celebrates after scoring the winning penalty in the penalty-shoot out during the UEFA Nations League quarter-final second-leg football match between France and Croatia at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on March 23, 2025. (AFP)

Bayern Munich has been left without two of its top defenders after Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano both picked up serious injuries on international duty.

Davies' season seems to be over after he tore a cruciate ligament in his right knee, Bayern said. The left back was injured while playing for Canada against the United States in the CONCACAF Nations League.

Bayern predicted central defender Upamecano will be out for “several weeks” with a problem in his left knee following his return from playing both legs of France's quarterfinal win over Croatia in the UEFA Nations League.

“In international breaks there is unfortunately always a danger that players come back injured, and this time it has hit us especially hard,” Bayern's board member for sport Max Eberl said. “The absences of Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano weigh heavily on FC Bayern.”

Bayern next plays St. Pauli in the Bundesliga on Saturday and faces Inter Milan in the quarterfinals of the Champions League next month.