Joint Classification Event For Tokyo Paralympics
NHK has learned that sports organizers plan to hold an event for Japanese para-athletes with visual impairments. The event will help determine their eligibility for this summer's Tokyo Paralympics.
Sources say international sports federations and other entities will hold a joint classification event on March 20 and 21 in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo. It will cover seven sports, including goalball, marathon, and judo.
Japan reportedly has at least 21 Paralympic hopefuls who have yet to be classified in those sports.
Athletes hoping to compete in the Paralympics usually need to take part in international contests to be classified based on the degrees and types of their impairments. This is to ensure fairness among contestants.
But many such contests in Japan have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some athletes have traveled overseas to gain classification.
Japanese sports associations for people with visual disabilities have pressed international federations and the Japanese Paralympic Committee for a classification event to be held in a safe environment.