On the 29th, the 6th day of the Tokyo Paralympics, most of the athletes were forced to abandon their participation due to the influence of the new coronavirus, but the athlete who became the only representative of the country took part in the competition with the thoughts of his friends. rice field.
This player is a 21-year-old college student, Kane Theptider, who represents Laos in Southeast Asia for track and field men.
In order to participate in the Paralympics, athletes need to break the standard participation record for each event, but in Laos, a developing country, there is no environment where official records can be measured, so it is necessary to set a record at overseas competitions. ..
However, due to the influence of the new Corona, the international competitions were canceled one after another, and all the track and field and swimming athletes in Laos could not even set a record and were forced to abandon the participation in the Tokyo Games.
Hiroyuki Hane (55), a former Japanese para-athletics player who moved to Laos six years ago to teach Kane, said, "I'm disappointed that I can't even get to the ring. I don't know where to hit my anger." I spoke for my feelings.
Under these circumstances, Kane was selected last month as a special frame of the IPC = International Paralympic Committee for countries and regions where no one was able to qualify, and only one Laos national team will be able to participate. I did.
Then, on the 29th, in the qualifying for the 100-meter visually impaired class, he said, "I will show the world that Lao players can also do it." I bowed deeply.
Kane jumped out in a low position at the start, and ran through the goal line with a hard run while being separated by powerful players in the middle stage.
As a result, he did not advance to the final in 6th place in this group, but he set a personal best with a time of 11 seconds 72 seconds.
Kane, who once gave up on the big stage, said, "I didn't make it to the final, but I think the process of getting here is important. The players who follow the joy and experience of participating in the tournament. I want to tell you, "he said, and wanted to connect the experience of this tournament to the development of sports for the disabled in Laos.