Six members of the Mongolian national track team for Tokyo Paralympic, who had been stranded in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, for about four months, will return to Mongolia on a chartered plane by the Mongolia government on Thursday.
Yaizu City is the host town of Mongolia. Four athletes and other members had been training in the city since February 14, but it was impossible to return home due to regular flight suspension caused by the coronavirus.
In the meantime, many citizens expressed their concern for the athletes, who are continuing their training, and they have been receiving food, masks and portraits from them.
The team told Mayor Hiromichi Nakano about their plans to return to Mongolia, at City Hall on Tuesday.
"I was moved by the kindness of the citizens here," said Coach Byambajav Enkhbaatar, 69. "Thanks to your warm support, I could work hard. Japan and Yaizu became our second hometown."
"You are now citizens of Yaizu," Nakano said, handing each person a special sports citizenship card, the first of its kind issued by the city.
An athlete in the athletics throwing event, Gendendarjaa Tsogtgerel, 46, said, "This is my favorite place that I will never forget. I want to stay in Yaizu again, and I want to get a good result in the Paralympics as a token of my appreciation."
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