Japan rushing to talent-spot paralympians

August 13, 2017

TOKYO- With only three years left until the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Japan is accelerating efforts to find possible Paralympians in order to win as many medals as possible as host nation.

Japan Para Athletics, an association for athletic sports for people with disabilities, is considering recommending players for Football 7-a-side for people with cerebral palsy, which has been excluded from the 2020 Games, and for Football 5-a-side for those with visual impairment to change course and take part in sprint running events of 100 to 400 meters.

Believing that many football players are good at sprinting, the association thinks that it can find promising candidates for Paralympic athletic events among football players.

"Two years is enough for an athlete to win a Paralympic medal," said Mitsui Toshihito, a senior official of the association. Jiji Press