Nagoya, Oct. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Shizuka Hangai, 38, and Shota Kawamoto, 30, on Monday clinched Asian Para Games gold in the women’s J1 class 52-kilogram judo event and in the men’s C1-2 class 3,000-meter individual cycling pursuit, respectively. A day after the opening ceremony was held for the quadrennial sporting festival mainly in the central Japan prefecture of Aichi, Hangai added the Asian Para gold to her medal haul after winning silver for the women’s 48 kg judo event at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, which was her fourth Paralympics. Hangai lost most of her vision by the age of 30. “I feel that the judo I’ve pursued up until now and all my efforts so far were not in vain,” she said. “This gold medal has proved the worth of my judo.” In women’s cycling, 55-year-old Keiko Sugiura secured of Japan her second consecutive Asian Para silver in the C1-3 class 3,000-meter individual pursuit event. Japan’s first medal at its home Asian Para Games was earned by cyclist Riyo Kogama, 42, who won bronze in the women’s C5 class 1,000-meter time trial. Among other Japanese athletes, swimmer Takayuki Suzuki, 39, bagged gold in the men’s S4 class 50-meter freestyle, and Aira Kinoshita, 20, won the women’s 200-meter freestyle swimming event. In track and field events, Japanese athletes swept the podium in the men’s T64 class 200-meter sprint, with Kengo Oshima, 26, securing gold, Shunsuke Itani, 31, silver and Yuma Tamaki, 24, bronze. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
