Taking advantage of the advantage of hosting the event in your own country - Competition in Asia is intensifying - Asian Para Games

At the first Asian Para Games held in Japan, Japan won 186 medals, including 64 gold. In addition to China's overwhelming strength, this tournament featured the rise of Uzbekistan and India. While they took advantage of their home country's strength to accumulate medals, it also served as an opportunity to reaffirm the improvement in the competitiveness of Asian countries.

In addition to the results achieved by key players in each sport, such as wheelchair tennis player Kaito Oda (Tokai Rika), there was also a breath of fresh air as young men competing in the competition for the first time stood on the podium, including 14-year-old Ryume Yamada (Kanagawa, Kamishirane Kita Junior High School) in the swimming competition. In the team competition, the men's goalball won their first gold. Looking back, Yoko Misaka, head of the Japanese team, said, ``We realized once again how much of an advantage it would be for the players to host the tournament in their own country.We proceeded with the tournament knowing that the foundation for strengthening the tournament was solidifying.''

Competition in Asia is intensifying. The gap with China remains large, and countries in Central Asia and South Asia are also making strides in a wide range of sports. In order for Japan to continue to make its presence known in the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, it is essential to expand the pool of athletes beyond just a few talented athletes and to improve the competition environment.

One of the major achievements of this tournament was that it allowed many spectators to experience parasports through the first time it was held in Japan. Leader Misaka emphasizes the importance of the ``legacy'' that the tournament leaves on the host city. ``It really created an opportunity for a lot of people to feel the appeal and value of this event.We worked on it with the hope that parasports would take root in Aichi and Nagoya as a normal thing.'' Can interest in para sports be changed in society's consciousness and lead to athlete development, without making it a temporary thing? The true value will be questioned in the future.