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, alongside the Olympics in Rome. 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. ranging from volleyball to judo.

Before the Paralympics, some athletes with disabilities took part in the Olympics. The American gymnast George Eyser competed with an artificial leg in 1904. Hungary's Karoly Takacs took part in the 1948 and 1952 shooting events even though he had had an arm amputated. 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. A visionary neurosurgeonA surgeon specialising in the brain, spinal cord and nervous system.   treating World War Two veterans, Dr Ludwig Guttman, introduced sport as part of their rehabilitation. The wheelchair competition he started grew into a national event.

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 in races ranging from the 800 metres to the marathon.

But some feel that 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 that 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. With 15,000 athletes participating, a much bigger Olympic Village would be needed.

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

"When I compete in World Cup races, our event is usually right before the able-bodied athletes' race," he says. "I get to socialise with my idols, experience them racing. In those precious moments, I feel like I am truly part of the national team, an elite athlete despite my disability."

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, and highlight the challenges disabled athletes have to overcome. When the modern Olympics began, it was thought impossible for women to be full participants, yet now we take their participation for granted.

Others argue that the Olympics are big enough already: 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.