Hidetaka Sugimura delivered a golden performance in the final of the boccia individual BC2 at the Tokyo Paralympic Games on Wednesday, defeating Rio de Janeiro gold medalist Watcharaphon Vongsa of Thailand 5-0 with a series of accurate shots in the class for athletes with cerebral palsy.
Japan's boccia team members applauded from the stands of the Ariake Gymnastics Center in Tokyo as Sugimura became the first Japanese Paralympian to stand on the podium in an individual boccia event.
Sugimura bowed and looked up at the spectator stands after winning the long-awaited gold. "I've been playing boccia for 20 years. I've won on this great stage," he said.
After taking a two-point lead in the first end with a series of accurate shots, Sugimura showed his ability as the world's No. 2 ranked player with his fifth throw in the second end.
He knocked his opponent's ball away from the jack, with his ball landing closer to the target. This throw made things even more difficult for his opponent and changed the tide of the game.
Those watching his spectacular feat will have seen that boccia is not only competitive but also a sport that anyone can enjoy.
Japan won silver in a team Boccia event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games. A number of hands-on events and tournaments in which able-bodied people also participated were held following the medal win in Brazil.
"For a brief moment, people were wowed by boccia," he said.
Sugimura first encountered the sport when he was a third-year student at a special needs high school.
He realized success for the Japanese team at the Paralympics would be a great opportunity to further promote the sport.
The level of the national team has improved as the popularity of boccia has spread, and with government funding, the national team has developed a strong structure with video analysis staff, physical therapists, and individual coaches.
As tears welled up in his eyes, the usually composed Sugimura said: "I wanted to achieve a good result and further raise the profile of boccia. I'm so happy."
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