Mexican table tennis player Claudia Perez Villalba is one of four athletes at the Tokyo Paralympics who were trained by members of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
"I got here thanks to my teacher," Perez said, expressing her gratitude to Yushin Ito, who worked in Mexico from 2017 to 2019 as a JICA member.
Perez competed in the first round of women's singles table tennis in the C7 classification for players who can compete standing, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Friday. She shouted, "Vamos!" meaning "Come on!" whenever she scored and raised her fist.
Perez became unable to walk due to rheumatoid arthritis and had prosthetic joints implanted in both knees about a decade ago. She came to prominence in para table tennis after encountering the sport at a gym that she frequented following her surgery.
Perez won an international tournament in 2019 that qualified her for the Tokyo Paralympics.
The 50-year-old Perez was unable Friday to overcome the speed of her French opponent, who is more than 10 years younger, and lost in straight sets. It was Perez's second defeat after her loss in a match on Aug. 25, and she was eliminated.
However, she remained positive, saying: "I was able to make use of what my teacher taught me. I'm very grateful for his guidance."
Ito, 67, is a former junior high school teacher in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture. Drawing on his experience as a coach for a table tennis club, he worked with Perez for about a year as a JICA member tasked with training athletes in developing countries.
When they first met, Perez could not even afford a paddle, so she borrowed one from her coach. Her technique was rough, but Ito was impressed with her devotion to the sport. As Perez cannot move her legs quickly, she worked on changing the movement of the ball by strategically using the different kinds of rubber on the front and back of the paddle.
Perez trained intensively to learn the so-called third ball attack, which is aimed at allowing a player to score a point on the third hit of a rally.
Their pet phrase was "See you in Tokyo." However, the coronavirus pandemic ultimately prevented their reunion, as the Tokyo Games have been held without spectators.
Ito said he received an email from Perez expressing her disappointment that she could not meet him in person to boost her confidence. Ito replied: "Keep practicing without forgetting the joy of competing. I'm rooting for you all the time, everywhere."
"I learned from her the mindset of taking on a challenge and not giving up," Ito said. "I hope I can enjoy playing table tennis with her again in Mexico someday."
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