Japan’s Wheelchair Tennis Star Tokito Oda Completes Career Golden Slam
Tokito Oda, 19, became the youngest player to achieve the feat of winning all of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Paralympic titles.
Category: Paralympics
Japan Para Swimmer Mayumi Narita Dies Aged 55
Mayumi Narita, one of Japan’s most accomplished para swimmers and a six-time Paralympian, died Friday at the age of 55 after battling intrahepatic bile duct cancer, the Japanese Para Swimming Federation said. Born in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Narita became a wheelchair user in her teens due to transverse myelitis and later a traffic accident, but went on to dominate the Paralympic stage, winning 15 gold medals and 20 overall between 1996 and 2004. She was named Best Female Athlete by the International Paralympic Committee in 2005, retired after the 2008 Beijing Games, and later contributed to Tokyo’s successful bid for the 2020 Games before making a remarkable comeback to compete in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 at age 51. Known for her resilience and innovation, she continued training despite pandemic restrictions and had planned to remain active in the sport at her home club, the Yokohama Sakura Swimming School.
Para Swimmer Mayumi Narita Dies at 55, 15 Gold Medals Earned in Career
The Japanese Para Swimming Federation announced Friday that Mayumi Narita, one of Japan’s most celebrated para swimmers, has died at the age of 55 after an illness. A native of Kanagawa Prefecture, Narita competed in four consecutive Paralympic Games from Atlanta in 1996 to Beijing in 2008 before returning in 2015 to race at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021. Excelling in freestyle and backstroke, she became a dominant figure in global para swimming and retired following the Tokyo Games.
Paralympic Medalist Junichi Kawai Seen as Candidate for Sports Agency Head
Junichi Kawai, a Paralympic gold medalist in swimming and chairman of the Japanese Paralympic Committee, is seen as a candidate for the next commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency, sources said Saturday. Kawai, 50, would succeed current Commissioner Koji Murofushi, 50, who will reach the end of his term at the end of September.
2026 Olympic, Paralympic Torches Unveiled at Osaka Expo
The torches for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics next year were unveiled Monday at the Italian pavilion of the 2025 World Exposition in the western Japan city of Osaka. The Olympic and Paralympic torches, each weighing 1,060 grams and measuring 89 centimeters in length, differ in color and are designed in the image of a flame. They will be displayed at the pavilion until the Expo’s final day on Oct. 13. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani said at a ceremony that the torches will carry a message of peace.
Despite Ending Sponsorship of International Olympic Committee, Toyota to Continue “direct support to athletes and equipment for sports for the disabled”
Toyota has served as a highest-ranking sponsor under a 10-year contract starting in 2015. The company has provided vehicles for officials and athletes at five Summer and Winter Games during that period. According to officials, Toyota has paid approximately 200 billion yen ($1.4 billion) to the IOC.The automaker intends to continue providing direct support to athletes and equipment for sports for the disabled even after the sponsorship agreement ends, Toyoda said.
2024 Paris Summer Paralympics Disability Japan Para Sports Paralympics Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games Wheelchair
Gold-winning Paris Paralympian Tennis Player Tokito Oda Triumphs in First Match Since Games
18-year-old Tokito Oda, who won the gold medal in the men’s singles at the Paris Paralympics, showed his skills by winning his first match after the Games in Tokyo in straight sets 2-0. Oda won a gold medal in men’s singles and a silver medal in men’s doubles at his first Paralympic Games in Paris. Oda, ranked No. 1 in the world, played his first match after the Paralympics in the first round of the men’s wheelchair singles tournament held in Koto-ku, Tokyo, against a Chinese player ranked No. 55 in the world.
Paralympics: Japanese athletes return home to hero’s welcome
Keiko Sugiura and Natsuki Wada, gold medalists in cycling and table tennis, respectively, were among the athletes welcomed home at Tokyo’s Haneda airport by enthusiastic fans, some of whom displayed signs with encouraging messages. Japan’s 14 gold medals were one more than the team won at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
Japan’s Oda Wins Gold in Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis
Japan’s Tokito Oda won gold in men’s wheelchair tennis singles at the Paris Paralympics on Saturday.
Oda, 18, defended the title that Japan’s Shingo Kunieda clinched in the previous Paralympics in Tokyo in 2021.
The victory by Oda brought Japan three gold medals and one silver medal in wheelchair tennis at the Paris Games.
Wheelchair Maker in Japan Empowering Paralympic Athletes
Founded in 1988 as a developer of motorcycle engines and parts, the company switched to the wheelchair business in 1995. It has a factory at its head office that manufactures wheelchairs for competitive sports.
Barrier Free Japan 