The XV Paralympic Games open in Rio on Wednesday night with 10-time gold medallist Lee Pearson leading Great Britain into a full to capacity Maracana Stadium.The Rio 2016 organising committee admitted as the Olympics came to a close last month that only 12 percent of the 2.5 million Paralympic tickets had been sold, while International Paralympic Committee president Sir Philip Craven admitted it was the worst build-up to a modern Games.However, it seems Rio has turned things around. Sales passed the 1.5m mark on Sunday and Rio is expected to be behind only London in terms of tickets sold. The London 2012 Paralympics saw 2.7m tickets sold.Wednesdays opening ceremony has been sold out, with 159 nations, plus two refugees in an Independent Paralympic Athletes team, represented, while unlike in the Olympics Russia is banned for state-sponsored doping.Rio 2016 spokesperson Mario Andrada said: We passed 1.6million tickets sold. The opening ceremony is sold out.We are following very much the same pattern that we have seen in the Olympic Games. Right before the Olympic Games we were selling around 40,000 tickets a day and we are selling around 40,000 tickets a day now for the Paralympics.We had peaks of selling 146,000 tickets (a day) for the Paralympics. The day that we sold most tickets was for the Paralympics.If you count the tickets sold we expect more people in the Paralympic Park next Saturday and Sunday than we could have seen during the Olympic Games.Britains chances of surpassing their target of 120 medals won at London 2012 and finishing second on the medal table, behind China, are boosted by Russias absence. Russia were second in the standings four years ago.Pearson will lead ParalympicsGB into the Maracana Stadium at the start of his fifth Games.The 42-year-old equestrian rider from Staffordshire describes himself as a colourful character.He believes the fact a gay bloke has been selected as flag bearer by his 263 teammates shows the strength and diversity of the team and the nation.The selection follows Kate Richardson-Walsh, who won hockey gold alongside wife Helen, being chosen to carry the flag at the Olympic closing ceremony last month.It just shows how diverse, how accepting, how lovely and how strong our team is, Pearson said.Thats why Im so proud of my fellow athletes. What an amazing nation to have - weve got so many diverse characters, different religions and races... To vote a gay bloke to be in that position is a massive honour.The first of 11 days of competition takes place on Thursday and the Games run until September 18.Irelands Jason Smyth is expected to be the fastest performer at the Games.The 29-year-old partially sighted sprinter from Londonderry set the fastest time in Paralympic competition in winning gold at London 2012 in 10.46 seconds.He competes on Friday morning, while the eagerly anticipated T44 100m final featuring amputee sprinters and defending champion Jonnie Peacock takes place later on the same day.Smyth is a four-time Paralympic champion and has been nicknamed the Paralympics Usain Bolt.Smyth, whose personal best is 10.22secs, said: Everyone in the world knows Usain Bolt and how incredible an athlete he is. To be put in the same sentence as him is a great honour and hopefully the main thing is for me to continue and run fast.Usain Bolt didnt break a world record this year either so maybe I can get away with not doing it.Major championship running is about trying to win. At the end of the day its about trying to make sure youre the first person across the line and thats my main target. Marcus Allen Jersey . With his new coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during an official match for the first time, Djokovic appeared tentative early against the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to keep the ball in play. Cheap Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. http://www.cheapchiefsjerseysauthentic.com/ .S. 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Sydney small forward Ben McGlynn has announced his AFL retirement, five days after his last grand final disappointment.While Swans coach John Longmire praised him for his leadership and commitment, McGlynns 171-game career was marred by rotten luck.He missed out on Hawthorns 2008 premiership because of injury and then moved to Sydney in 2010.A torn hamstring in the first week of the finals meant he also missed out on the Swans 2012 premiership.McGlynn, 31, played in Sydneys losing 2014 grand final side.He was one of the Swans best in the preliminary final win over Geelong late last month, but had minimal impact in the grand final loss to the Western Bulldogs.Despite his relatively short stature (172cm), Ben had a big influence on the team both on and off the field, Longmire said in a club statement.The way he played his football gave the team real energy. He was hard; he was committed; he really valued the things we value as a team and he did them really well.ddddddddddddWhen Ben McGlynn was firing the team was a much better team, because he was able to make those around him better.McGlynn told teammates before Thursday nights club best and fairest function that he had decided not to keep playing.He thanked the Swans and Hawks, adding family had been the biggest inspiration in his career.Im especially going to miss running out and competing each weekend because thats what Ive always loved doing, he said.But Ive still got a lot of passion for the game and would love to stay involved in the industry.McGlynn played 44 games for the Hawks from 2006-10 and had a career total of 171. ' ' '