In an interview with NHK, Parsons, chairman of the IPC = International Paralympic Committee, said about the Tokyo Paralympic Games, which had reached the final stage, "I feel the greatness of sports because many records have been broken." It has been revealed that we will continue to investigate the impact of the one-year postponement on athletes.
IPC Chairman Parsons responded to an independent interview with NHK on the 2nd, when the tournament was nearing the end.
Among them, Chairman Parsons said, "Many highlights were born, such as the gold medal in Boccia in Japan and the retirement of famous Brazilian swimmer Daniel Dias. Many records have been broken and the sport is wonderful. I feel it. "
He added, "I think the one-year postponement was a difficult period for athletes due to the opacity and behavioral restrictions brought about by the pandemic. Nevertheless, the physical, mental and emotional aspects of the many records that have been set. We have to investigate the impact of the postponement on the players from various perspectives, such as. It will become clear over the next few months or years. " He expressed his intention to continuously investigate the impact.
Also, regarding the 3rd place playoff of wheelchair tennis quad doubles that started before 9 pm on the 1st, the match was temporarily suspended due to bad weather, and the end was after 2 am on the 2nd. Some sports are weather sensitive and you may have to decide to postpone for the athlete, but you have to finish the schedule by the closing ceremony. This time it's far from ideal. I've done it, but I'm aware that it was done after everyone was convinced. "
Afghan player support intends to continue in the future
IPC Chairman Parsons also commented on the two Afghan players who participated in the Tokyo Paralympic Games, saying, "I saw Zakia Khudaddy fighting in a taekwondo match today, which was one of the highlights of this tournament. I said.
He added, "We will have some choices about which country they will live in after this tournament, but that is important to us and we have to keep an eye on it. I don't know in which country they live at this point, but it is clear that they will cooperate with the Paralympic Committee of that country to support them. " I emphasized.