Promoting the Appeal and Awareness of Para Shooting "Para Sports Media Forum ~ Para Shooting ~" Held

Dentsu Inc. Public Relations and the Para Sports Promotion Network held the 22nd "Para Sports Media Forum ~ Para Shooting ~" in Tokyo on September 2.

Approved by the Japan Disabled Sports Association, this forum focuses on one sport per session to promote media understanding of para sports and athletes and improve coverage conditions. This session focused on "Para Shooting," ahead of the WSPS World Championships in Sydney in October and the All Japan Disabled Rifle Shooting Championships in November.

At the outset, Mr. Tatsumi Tanaka, Secretary General of the Japan Disabled Sports Shooting Federation, and Ms. Aki Taguchi, a board member and shooting Paralympian, explained the sport's overview.

Para shooting is divided into 13 individual events based on firearm type (air rifle, rifle, air pistol, pistol), target distance, and shooting position (standing, kneeling, prone). Classes are further divided based on the degree of disability. Shooting is a sport fought under the pressure of "how still one can keep their body" and the risk that pulling the trigger "could cause the body to waver." In a situation where even one missed shot is unforgivable, the tension and sense of accomplishment felt by the athletes are conveyed to the audience, contributing to the sport's appeal.

Pistols used in competition

(From left) Targets for the 10-meter air rifle event, the 10-meter pistol event, and the 50-meter rifle event. The diameter of the circle corresponding to the highest score is remarkably small: 0.5 mm, 11.5 mm, and 10.4 mm respectively.

Mr. Tanaka stated, "Winning medals is the ultimate goal at the Tokyo Paralympics," and explained the qualification requirements for the Games. For the Tokyo Games, the minimum requirement for selection is achieving the qualifying standard set by the sport's governing body twice in officially recognized competitions by July 15, 2020. Beyond that, athletes will aim for one of the 148 direct qualification slots (77 of which have already been allocated across three competitions; Japan has not yet secured any) and the one slot each allocated to host nation Japan for men and women. Athletes will compete for the remaining 71 slots at events like the October World Championships and the May 2020 World Cup in the United States. Since Japan's Paralympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Games, athletes have achieved notable results: Takagi placed 7th and Akiyo Segawa 8th at Athens 2004, and Takagi placed 8th at Beijing 2008. This history fuels expectations for strong performances at Tokyo.

Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Taguchi explain the overview and appeal of Para shooting

Also appearing at the venue were Kentaro Otaki (50m Rifle Prone), Daisuke Sasaki (Air Rifle Prone), and Mitsuka Mizuta. All three are scheduled to compete in October's World Championships and stated in unison, "We want to strive for qualification and a medal at next year's Tokyo Paralympics."

Athlete Otaki

Sasaki

Mizuta

At the venue, each athlete performed a demonstration of their respective event. The participants cheered loudly at the athletes' serious expressions and their succession of high scores.

Athlete Otaki, competing in the 50m Rifle Prone Mixed SH1 Class. Ranked 29th at the 2019 WSPS World Cup in Osijek.

Sasaki, competing in the 10m Air Rifle Prone Mixed SH1 Class. 11th place at the 2019 WSPS World Cup Osiak

Mizuta competed in the 10m Air Rifle Prone Mixed SH2 Class. 14th place at the 2019 WSPS World Cup Osiak

Upcoming domestic para-shooting competitions (partial list) are as follows.

・The 32nd All-Japan Disabled Rifle Shooting Championships
Dates: November 9-10, 2019
Venue: Chiba Prefectural Sports Center Shooting Range

・National Team Selection Trials
Scheduled for February 2020

Details on Para Shooting, competition information, and email subscription requirements can be found on the official website of the Japan Disabled Sports Shooting Federation.