Afghanistan made its Paralympic debut at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, United States. With the exception of the 2000 Summer Paralympics, they have sent a delegation to every Summer Paralympics since, making Rio the nation's fifth time participating at the Paralympics. They have never participated in the Winter Paralympic Games, and have never won a Paralympic medal. The 2016 Summer Paralympics were held from 7–18 September 2016 with a total of 4,328 athletes representing 159 National Paralympic Committees taking part. Athlete Mohammad Durani was the only competitor for Afghanistan in Rio. He was chosen as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony.