“Mr. Suga is a keen advocate and supporter of the Paralympic Games, the Paralympic Movement and the transformational impact next year’s Games will have on driving social inclusion in Japan.”
The Japan Wheelchair Basketball Federation said Tuesday that a member of the Japanese women’s team has been deemed ineligible to compete at the Tokyo Paralympics for not being compliant with the International Paralympic Committee’s classification rules.
“I can’t go the stadium at the risk of my life…There is no life ‘with corona’ for me.”
She finished the race in 26.32 seconds, against the Japanese female record of 24.21 seconds set by herself, coming first in her heat. “I’m so happy to finish first. I could really enjoy swimming,” Ikee said.
Parsons said some para-athletes were particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus, and that at current risk levels the Paralympics could not take place.
As the world celebrates one year to go until the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics following their postponement earlier this year, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons answers questions on preparations for the Games and what impact he believes they will have in 2021.
He said he imagined two possibilities — that both the Paralympics and the Olympics will be held in Tokyo, or that neither of them will be.
45 athletes said it is a challenge to stay motivated, the most common response in the multiple-choice questions, while 41 said they have a hard time engaging in competitions due to fears of infections, followed by 34 pointing to difficulties in maintaining or improving their performances.
Concern has been raised that para athletes may be at more risk of severe outcomes if they contract COVID-19, and athletes with particular impairments need to take more stringent precautions to protect themselves.
Athletes seeking to participate in the Tokyo Paralympic Games next year and staff members are struggling to balance preparations to compete and measures against the novel coronavirus, officials at the Japanese Para-Sports Association have said in a recent interview.
