An American girl cheers for the competitors at the National Aquatics Centre, also known as the Water Cube, in Beijing September 7, 2008. [Xinhua]

Spectators filled the stadiums to cheer for the disabled athletes' determination and quest for gold as the Beijing Paralympic Games went into its first day of competitions on Sunday.

Most seats in the venues, where athletes competed for 27 gold medals up for grabs in the day, were taken up. The first gold medal of these Games became the focus of media and public attention, just as it was during the Beijing Olympic Games, which ended about two weeks ago.

Last time it was Czech markswoman Katerina Emmons, and this time it was Slovakian Veronika Vadovicova, both winning the same event of women's 10m air rifle.

"The Olympics is about breaking boundaries -- higher, faster and stronger. It's the same here," said Shang Yuliang, a doctor in wheelchair from a village in central China's Henan Province. He had accompanied his son to enroll in a Beijing university, and bought the ticket to watch the shooting events.

"It's a chance for the world to know what the people with disabilities can do. They may not be able to perform at the level of the Olympians, but they deserve thumbs-up for an equally valuable spirit," Shang said.

Around Shang were a dozen young men wearing headbands that read "Jia You (go)" in Chinese. Some of them leaned forward to watch the competition attentively.

Some of the spectators came to find more than what they had expected. "Honestly, I didn't count on the matches to be at such a high level," said retiree Wang Yaodong who came to the event with his wife. When Wang saw the shooters score a couple of sharp 10s to match the paramount performance by the Olympians, he sensed the drama.

"It won't be easy for the able-bodied people to accomplish something like that. Just think how much they have to do to get that level," he said.

The Paralympics is an Olympic-style competition for athletes with disabilities that fell in broad classes of amputee, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, spinal cord injuries, intellectual disability and a group which includes all those that do not fit into the aforementioned groups (les autres). The Beijing Paralympics opened on Saturday night and will last through September 17.

A Judoka who used all his strength to overcome his opponent can't see. A swimmer who splashed in record-breaking pace had only one limb. A cyclist sprinting down the track had to do that by stabilizing his artificial limbs onto the pedals. The Paralympians are physically or intellectually impaired, but their tenacity and sportsmanship make them perfect.

A total of 27 victory ceremonies were held on Sunday for the medalists. Although the classification system was a bit confusing, the spectators embraced the Games with welcoming hearts.

In the sitting volleyball venue, the crowd was so enthusiastic that some players were overwhelmed by surprise and unpreparedness.

"Our girls were shocked to see so many people because we have no fans even in my own country. Several girls cried when they walked out of the field of play because the spectators cheered and applauded for them," said Ruta Cvirkiene, a Lithuanian coach and key player.

And the athletes didn't let the spectators down.

"The competitions were so intense that I forgot they were disabled athletes. You see everyone going out with their best. We all feel so much inspiration and encouragement," said Chen Changli, a Beijing resident who bought a ticket to watch the cycling events.

Gregor Sampson, an eight-year-old boy from London, spoke with awe after watching Sunday's cycling competition. "It was fantastic, and the most exciting games I've ever seen. It's so fast," said the kid.

In order to give more people a taste of the premier sporting event for the disabled athletes, the Games organizers have offered the tickets at cheap prices of 30 to 80 yuan (about 4.5 to 12 U.S. dollars) each. About 660,000 tickets were added to the initial plan of one million to meet growing demands, said Wang Wei, an official with the Games organizing committee, on Saturday.

That decision has given chances to people like Zhang Jiping, a table tennis fan in Beijing who failed to get a ticket for any competition during the Olympic Games.

"I've never seen a disabled athlete compete before. When they struck at the ball, it was like they were not just hitting it, but fighting against something with an unyielding spirit. Like the able-bodied athletes, they have displayed the beauty of sport to the full," said the 72-year-old woman after enjoying Sunday's table tennis competition.

"I cheered for everyone of them, no matter they won or lost. Maybe they are not so famous, but in my eyes they are all shining stars," she added.