An Opening Ceremony was held in Piazza De Ferrari, the main square of Genoa.

The event was attended by Italian Paralympic Committee President Luca Pancalli, the Mayors of Genoa and Savona, Marco Doria and Ilaria Capriolglio, as well as the chairman of the organising committee, Dario Della Gatta.

The Governor of Liguria, Giovanni Toti, officially opened the Games.

Among the proceedings was the athletes and judges oaths as well as a Parade of Nations.

Tennis player Matteo Orsi took the athletes' oath and swimming official Noemi Ulivieri performed the judges'.

More than 600 Para-athletes from 26 countries are set to compete in eight sports at the event in Savona and Genoa in a Games due to finish on Sunday (October 14). 

Athletics, boccia, seven-a-side football, goalball, judo, sailing, swimming and table tennis are the sports on the programme at the Games, organised by the European Paralympic Committees in conjunction with the CIP.

The event will be the fourth edition of the European Para Youth Games.

It was first held in Brno in the Czech Republic in 2011 and 2012 before Varazdin in Croatia hosted the 2015 Games.

Sporting action is due to begin in full tomorrow.