Should the Paralympics and Olympics merge? As the games for athletes with disabilities begin in Tokyo today, some campaigners are insisting that they deserve to share the spotlight.

It has been 61 years since the first Paralympic Games were held. Four hundred athletes from 23 countries took part. This year there will be 4,537 athletes from 163 countries, competing in 22 sportsTwo are being included for the first time at Tokyo: badminton and taekwondo..

Before the Paralympics, some athletes with disabilities took part in the Olympics. The American gymnast George Eyser competed with an artificial leg in 1904. Denmark's Lis Hartel, who was partially paralysed by polio, won the silver medalHartel was also the first woman to win a medal in direct competition with men. for dressageAn equestrian event which consists of putting a horse through highly disciplined manoeuvres.   in 1952 and 1956.

The Paralympics were originally named the Stoke Mandeville Games, after a hospital in Buckinghamshire which specialised in spinal injuries.

In this century, there has been a surge of interest in the Paralympics. Almost three million tickets were sold for the London 2012 events, while the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro attracted a TV audience of more than four billion.

Extraordinary athletes such as Britain's David Weir have helped raise the profile of the games. Born without the use of his legs, he has competed in wheelchair events since childhood. As an adult he has won six Paralympic gold medals.

Some feel more could be done to translate the Paralympics into awareness of the challenges disabled people face. According to the blind French athlete Charles CatherineA competitor in the triathlon, which consists of a 750-metre swim, 20 kms of cycling and a 5 km run., writing in USA Today: "I have Paralympian friends who are world record holders and gold medallists, but they are not household names, and they often struggle even to find jobs."

Equal sequel?

Catherine admits there would be logisticalOrganisational. It was originally a military term referring to the movement of troops and equipment. difficulties if the Olympics and Paralympics took place at the same time.

Others worry the Paralympics would receive less attention as part of a combined event, with TV coverage focusing on able-bodied competitors. But Catherine believes the pluses would outweigh the minuses.

Should the Paralympics and Olympics merge?

Some say, yes: it would be a big step towards people recognising those with disabilities as an integral part of society. It would also honour the para in Paralympics, which means alongside.

Others argue the Olympics are big enough: including the Paralympics would mean many more competitors and events, and the games would have to last longer. More importantly, the Paralympic events would inevitably be overshadowed by those for able-bodied athletes. They also have a different, less commercial ethos. It is much better for them to have a stage of their own.