Arab News Japan

TOKYO: During the “No Limits Challenge” event promoting Paralympic sports in Tokyo, a para rugby player invited the audience to a wheelchair rugby demonstration.

Masahito Aratake, who was born in 1991, became a para athleteafter breaking his neck in an accident in 2016 and left himparalyzed. He practiced gymnastics when he was able-bodied, but he was interested in wheelchair rugby because it’s a sport where tackling is allowed.

In front of an audience of Olympic volunteers, Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials and journalists, Aratake demonstrated chair slaloms and tackles with volunteers to see how players feel during a match.

The room was filled with the sound of chairs clashing, evokingthe victory of the Japanese national team against Denmark, which was broadcast on screens during the demonstration.

Aratake said he regretted not being able to participate in the Tokyo Paralympic Games after missing selection for the national team, but at the age of 30, he is still hoping to participate in the next Games in Paris in 2024