Wheelchair Rugby A Day of Learning with Top Athletes
On April 25 and 26, the Japan Disabled Sports Association held wheelchair rugby experience sessions at two elementary schools in Chiba City. The sessions aimed to let children experience disabled sports and promote barrier-free attitudes.
Held under the banner of the "Japan Para Support Project: Disabled Athlete Exchange Caravan," this event coincided with the upcoming "2016 Japan Para Wheelchair Rugby Tournament" international exchange matches at Chiba Port Arena from May 19th to 22nd, featuring teams from the USA, Australia, the UK, and Japan.
The Japan Para Games, hosted by the association, is Japan's premier national sports event for athletes with disabilities. In addition to wheelchair rugby, it features track and field, swimming, skiing, goalball, and other sports.
On the 26th, top athletes including Daisuke Ikesaki, Shinichi Shimakawa, Tomoaki Imai, and Takahisa Yamaguchi from the 2016 Japan Para National Team visited Tsurusawa Elementary School and interacted with approximately 60 fifth-grade students.
The Japanese national wheelchair rugby team is ranked third in the world and has secured a spot in the Rio Paralympics to be held in September.
(Related article: Wheelchair Rugby: Japan Wins First Title! Secures Rio Spot![2015.11.04] )
When the athletes started a 4-on-4 mini-game, even the initially reserved children cheered loudly for both teams. They seemed captivated by the sport's appeal, sometimes startled by fierce collisions (tackles) and falls, or watching tire changes with fascination. During the wheelchair experience, everyone rode in competition wheelchairs and learned how to operate them. When experiencing tackles from the athletes, joyful shouts erupted from all around.
The highlight of the day came when teachers were tackled. The children energetically shouted at the athletes, "Go for it!" and "Take them down!" and cheered wildly when a teacher actually fell. The children actively engaged with the athletes, surrounding them to ask questions and learn about the features of the wheelchairs.
This caravan, which includes other sports, seems to be steadily closing the distance between children and athletes with each iteration.
Finally, the athletes expressed their determination to aim for gold medals at the Rio Paralympics. They concluded the experience session by asking the children to attend the May tournament and continue supporting them. A similar event was held the previous day, the 25th, at Noborito Municipal Elementary School.
Japan Sports Association for the Disabled website:
http://www.jsad.or.jp/
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