Japan, the goalball boy of the Tokyo Paralympics, defeated Algeria 13-4 in the first match of the qualifying league.
In goalball, visually impaired players alternately roll a ball with a bell toward the opponent's goal with three people in one team to compete for points.
The qualifying league started at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City on the 25th, and Japan, who participated for the first time in the host country frame, played against Algeria.
In the first half of Japan, 21-year-old Kazuya Kaneko scored a goal with a quick turn from the defense and took the lead immediately after the start.
Immediately after, Algeria was tied, but Kaneko continued to make a gap in the opponent's defense, scoring the shots he aimed for one after another, leading 7 to 3 and turning back.
Japan took the initiative in the second half and further expanded their lead, winning 13-4.
In the qualifying league, 10 participating teams will be divided into 5 teams to play in a round robin, and Japan's next match will be against the United States on the 27th.
Captain Kawashima "The harvest was the one that won firmly"
Yuta Kawashima, the captain, said with a smile, "I think it was the harvest that I was able to win firmly despite the tension. I have been working toward this stage, so it's only one match, but it was a lot of fun." Was there.
He was enthusiastic about the upcoming match, where he was waiting for a match against a strong man, "I'm really looking forward to seeing how well what I've done so far will work."
Team's highest score Kaneko "My attack is world-class"
Kazuya Kaneko, who scored the most 7 points on the team, said with a smile, "I got more points than I expected, so I was confident that my attack would be world-class."
He said, "I want to do as much as I can" for future games.