WELLINGTON -- New Zealand's veteran wheelchair rugby player Sholto Taylor will carry his national flag at the opening ceremony of the 13th Paralympic Games in Beijing on Saturday night.
Taylor is competing in his fourth Paralympics, and has collected two bronze medals and a gold from previous Games.
New Zealand chef de mission Duane Kale said the 36-year-old is a key member of the squad and deserves the flag-bearing honour, Radio New Zealand reported on Saturday.
Most of the New Zealand athletes and officials will take part in the opening ceremony, with the exception of boccia players and cyclists, who are competing the next day.
Thirty athletes will represent New Zealand, hoping to emulate the success of the Athens 2004 squad, which returned home with a swag of 10 medals.
The Beijing Games, slated from September 6-17, has 20 sports, including archery, boccia, cycling, equestrian, fencing, five-a-side football, goalball, rowing, sailing, seven-a-side football.
In athletics, Matthew Slade and Tim Prendergast are both attending their third Paralympics and are considered strong medal contenders.
Slade, who won gold in the 200 meters in Athens, will defend his title and also compete in the 100 meters. Prendergast will compete in the 1,500 meters and the 5,000 meters. Four years ago, he claimed gold in the 800 meters.
The team selected to defend the Wheel Blacks' title in wheelchair rugby boast plenty of experience, with six of the eight members of the squad original members of the Athens 2004 team.
Curtis Palmer and Sholto Taylor are attending their fourth Paralympics and won bronze medals from both the Sydney 2000 and Atlanta 1996 Games.
Shooter Michael Johnson will aim to match the gold medal he won in Athens 2004. He will compete in the 10m air rifle prone and the 10m air rifle standing.
Veteran powerlifter George Taamaru is competing in his third Paralympic Games and has represented New Zealand at two Commonwealth Games competitions.
In swimming, Daniel Sharp, who won a bronze medal in Athens, competes in the 100m breaststroke, 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle. He is joined in the pool by 15-year-old Sophie Pascoe and Cameron Leslie, aged 18.
