Boccia got underway at the Tokyo Paralympics at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Koto Ward, Tokyo on Saturday.
An increasing number of people are playing the para sport, regardless of whether they are disabled or not, and efforts are underway to promote boccia.
The aim of boccia is to throw or roll colored balls as close as possible to a white target ball, called the jack. Each athlete, pair or team throws or rolls six balls per "end." Players can hit the jack and an opponent's balls to move them, and accurate throwing techniques and tactics are essential.
Japan won silver in boccia for the first time at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics, which boosted the popularity of the sport nationwide. The number of people registered with the Tokyo-based Japan Boccia Association exceeded 1,000 this year.
Teams participating in domestic competitions are promoting the sport.
The boccia team from Toyo Gakuen University in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, finished third in a 2019 competition held in Tokyo. In June, the team held a hands-on class for about 220 sixth graders at Oyama Elementary School in Nagareyama, Chiba Prefecture.
Team captain Kosuke Hashimoto, 22, and two other members -- all in wheelchairs -- taught the schoolkids the rules and how to throw the balls. Students then played boccia and served as judges. Hashimoto also talked about his personal experiences, such as being denied entry to a store because he used a wheelchair.
"I want to tell my parents and friends about how fun boccia is," said an 11-year-old girl who played the sport for the first time. "I'll ask wheelchair users if they need any help when I see them."
The team also holds hands-on classes at events organized by the Tokyo metropolitan government and on other occasions.
"I believe boccia will help change how people see those with disabilities," Hashimoto said.
Company teams are also popular.
The All Japan Business Committee, comprising about 100 major companies and entities, has held nationwide competitions since 2017. Twenty-three tournaments had been held until early 2020, with about 8,500 people participating from 1,270 organizations.
"The Paralympics provide a great opportunity to increase people's exposure to boccia," said Hiroko Miura, 52, secretary general of the Japan Boccia Association. "I think we'll finally stand on the starting line of realizing an inclusive society and thinking about diversity."
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
