On the 26th, the third day of the Tokyo Paralympics, the youngest player in the tournament challenged the Paralympic Games for the first time to confront discrimination against people with disabilities.
Youngest 14 years and 5 months
This player is a female swimmer representing Uganda in eastern Africa, and is 14 years and 5 months old, Husna Kukundaque.
In Uganda, there are many people with disabilities due to the effects of conflicts that have continued for more than 20 years, and especially in the northern part where fierce fighting was fought, the problem of discrimination and sexual violence against women with disabilities is serious, an international human rights group "Human Rights Watch" and others have reported.
Kukundaque, who has had no part of his right arm since he was born and has a disability in his left hand, said he wore a sweater to hide his arm even on hot days. I got the right to participate as the youngest player in Tokyo.
In the qualifying for the motor dysfunction class of the 100-meter breaststroke held on the 26th, Kukundaque was late at the start, but he caught up hard to the end with a strong swim.
The time was 1 minute 34 seconds 35, 12th out of 14 people, and the top 8 people did not advance to the final, but after the competition, I thought about discrimination against persons with disabilities on the official website of the IPC = International Paralympic Committee. I told you.
"In Uganda, children with disabilities are often abandoned by their parents and begging, and when they see the Paralympics, they realize that they should have helped their children pursue their dreams." Probably. "
"This is the beginning of my journey. I'm really looking forward to how far I can go," he said, deciding to change his perception of people with disabilities through his swimming appearance.