At the Tokyo Paralympics, a tournament that will lead to the selection of the Japan national wheelchair rugby team, which is expected to receive a gold medal, has opened in Chiba City.
Due to the influence of the new coronavirus, it was not possible to invite overseas teams, so the representative candidate players played against each other.
The Japanese representative of wheelchair rugby won the world championship three years ago, and there are expectations for a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics, but due to the influence of the new coronavirus, the tournament was canceled or postponed one after another.
The "Japan Para Tournament", which started in Chiba City on the 20th, is the first tournament in about one year and three months, and it was held in an unusual way that the invited overseas powerhouses could not participate and the audience could not enter. It was.
For this reason, in the tournament, 23 Japanese national team candidates are divided into three teams to play in a round robin, and in the third game, a team led by Yukinobu Ikezaki, who is the captain of the Japanese national team, and a team with ace Daisuke Ikezaki. Played against each other.
Since the tournament will be an important material for the selection of the representatives of the Tokyo Paralympics, in the match, Ike took the opponent's ball and connected it to the goal just before the end of the first half of the 1-point lead, expanding the lead to 3 points and pulling the representative. I showed my ability.
Even in the second half, Ike, who said "the best finish ever", made a number of tries with skillful wheelchairs and scored 20 points. He also contributed to the offense and defense by attracting opponents and assisting allies with his favorite pass. I won 54 to 49.
Ike said, "There were some players who couldn't play the same way as usual because the atmosphere was different from the training camp game, but I think it was a good opportunity to fight while making small corrections in the game."
Japan National Team Head Coach "Preparing for Tokyo Para"
Regarding the wheelchair rugby tournament being held for the first time in a year and three months, Japan national team coach Kevin Orhead said, "We have played practice games even during the training camp, but since it is a game that requires results, we will go to the Tokyo Paralympics. I'm ready to go. "
Also, as the international tournament scheduled in Canada was canceled in June, it is expected that it will be difficult to play against overseas teams by the time of the actual performance. You can also practice assuming an opponent country. Japan should be able to do the best training. "
Sonouede, had said, "the future partner want to choose the prospect June the Japan representative members of the 12 people working on practice to focus on a place called or go fighting themselves if no matter".