Rio 2016 Paralympic Torch Relay Begins -- Monday Memo

(ATR) The Rio 2016 Paralympic Torch Relay through Brazil will begin on Sep.1.

The festivities began as Brazil’s interim president Michel Temer lit the Olympic torch during the reception ceremony of the Paralympic Torch at Planalto Palacein the country's capital of Brasilia on Aug. 25.

Brazilian native and Paralympic athlete Yohansson Nascimento, who won gold at the London 2012 Games in the 200m, was presented the Olympic torch by Temer at the ceremony.

Nascimento said "Brazilian athletes are training hard. Our target of finishing in the top five is very ambitious, but we have had all the support we need to reach it. We are prepared and we will achieve it. I have no doubts that we will hear the Brazilian national anthem every day."

Approximately 500 torchbearers will be carrying the flame across all five regions of Brazil, making their way through the cities of Belem, Joinville, Natal and São Paulo.

Each city's relay will end with a miniature Paralympic cauldron being lit. Meanwhile, another flame will be lit in the birthplace of the Paralympic Games, Stoke Mandeville in England. Then all six flames will be sent to Rio, where they will unite to form a single flame.

Brazilian bank Bradesco and Nissan are the official sponsors of the torch relay.

The relay will make its final stop at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro where the opening ceremony for the 2016 Paralympics will be held.

The Rio Paralympics run from Sep. 7 to Sep. 18.

New York Welcomes World's Best Tennis Players

The U.S. Tennis Open Championships begin Monday, Aug. 29 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City.

The final Grand Slam tournament of 2016 features the world's best players competing for a share of the $46.3 million in prize money.

Novak Djokovic will seek to defend his 2015 U.S. Open title while Serena Williams will try to become the first woman to win 23 major championships. Each are nursing injuries that partly contributed to their early round exits from the Rio 2016 Olympic tennis tournament earlier in August.

The final matches will be played on Sep. 11.

International Sports Convention Draws Near

The fourth edition of the International Sports Convention in Geneva, Switzerland is now 100 days away.

According to organizers, ISC 2016 will be the largest international sports conference of the year and will feature 18 sports seminars as well as an 6,000-square meter convention hall that allows for plenty of networking and sales opportunities.

The two-day event will be held from Dec. 7-8 and is expected to have more than 150 speakers from the sports business industry along with more than 2,000 delegates.

Those interested in early booking opportunities that close on Sep. 30 can register here.

Written by Courtney Colquitt and Kevin Nutley

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