Akiko Sugino has been newly appointed as the representative of the new competition of the Tokyo Paralympics, mixed doubles of para-badminton and women's singles.
The representatives of para-badminton, which will be the first official competition at the Tokyo Paralympics, are being selected based on the latest world rankings announced in May.
The Japanese Para-Sports Federation has already announced the appointment of nine athletes as representatives, but on the 29th, the Japan Paralympic Committee recommended a pair of mixed doubles and decided to be the representative.
The men's singles were unofficially decided, and the pair of Daisuke Fujiwara and Sugino, who had already been unofficially decided, are ranked 12th in the world ranking.
Sugino is a player with a disability in his arm and has been nominated for mixed doubles, so according to the rules for selecting representatives of the World Badminton World Federation, he will be able to participate in women's singles as well. I will face you.
As a result, 10 people have been appointed as representatives of para-badminton in the 11th event.
What is Akiko Sugino?
Akiko Sugino, a class with a disability in her arms, is 30 years old from Chiba prefecture.
The world ranking with Daisuke Fujiwara, a class with a disability who makes a pair in mixed doubles, is 12th.
Sugino has a dysfunction in his left arm and cannot bend his left arm, but he has a strong smash from his right arm.
In the past, she won the 2017 World Championship in women's doubles, but in November 2018, just before the representative selection period of the Tokyo tournament, she suffered a serious injury to cut off the ligament of her left knee at the tournament of the expedition destination. I left the court for more than half a year.
After returning, I aimed to be a representative in mixed doubles with another player, but I could not catch up with the preceding rival, and in January of last year (2020), which is the end of the selection period, I re-paired with Fujiwara and aimed for a representative appointment I did.
While the Tokyo tournament was postponed for one year, he devoted himself to physical training with the aim of strengthening his stamina, and in May, the final selection tournament, which was resumed in Spain for the first time in a year and two months, was runner-up with a new pair. I was impressed with the resurrection.
In addition, the women's singles, which were unofficially decided for the mixed doubles, are quiet and have not participated in the tournament last year, so there is no world ranking, but they won the second place in the Japan Championship in December last year, which decides the best in Japan.