Paris 2024: Japan's golden goalball dream

Looking back at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Japanese goalball player Yuta Kawashima recalls being surprised when he first stepped on the court.

"The Paralympic Games were so huge and cannot be compared to any other tournament," said Kawashima, who served as team captain at Tokyo 2020.

"I felt the joy and happiness of being able to play at the Games. I am happy that I had the chance to compete at Tokyo, and it is a huge part of me to this day."

The Japanese men's squad made its Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020, earning a spot in the eight-team tournament as the host country. The team advanced to the quarter finals but lost 7-4 to eventual silver medallists China. 

Three years later, the team known as "Orion Japan" at home is ready to improve on their fifth-place finish at Paris 2024.

Road to Paris

Japan qualified for Paris 2024 after winning gold at the IBSA World Games in 2023. The team also earned silver at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games last year in China.

Japan are joined by hosts France, Brazil, Islamic Republic of Iran, USA, China, Ukraine and Egypt in the men's goalball tournament.

"We will win the gold medal at Paris Paralympics and we will prove that Japan is No. 1 in the world," squad member Yuji Taguchi said in a press release from the Japan Goalball Association.

Koji Miyajiki, who is competing at his second Games, said, "With pride and determination of being selected for the national team, I will spend the remaining time (until Paris 2024) carefully so we can win gold."

CONGRATULATIONS Japan! The men's Goalball national team just got the 🥇 gold medal in the@IBSAGames2023 in the final against South Korea (7-3) and got their place in @Paralympics @Paris2024
secured.#IBSA #IBSABlindSports #Paralympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/M7FgfKdwdu

— IBSA (@IBSABlindSports) August 27, 2023

Goalball is one of the two sports in the Paris 2024 sports programme without an Olympic counterpart. It is played by athletes with vision impairment, and the objective is to score points by throwing a ball containing bells past the opponents and into their net.

Each team has six players, with three members playing at one time. The crowd must be silent so athletes can hear where the ball is.

From Tokyo to Paris

Kawashima, who was named as a reserve player at Paris 2024, says topping the podium in Paris will allow the team to make up for their disappointment at Tokyo 2020.

"The men's team have become so much stronger," he said. "At Tokyo 2020, we wanted to meet people's expectations, especially since we were playing at home. I wanted to show my appreciation to the people who helped me along the way.

"In Paris, I hope we can achieve what we weren't able to do in Tokyo."

So, what does the team need to do in order to accomplish that goal? Kawashima says there are two things.

"First, we cannot make mistakes when it's important, especially in the knockout stage. Teams that make mistakes often lose, and teams that win often don't make mistakes."

"We also need to pay attention on the way we spend our day. Paralympic gold medallists have a certain way on spending their time during the Games. That's something we should take into account."

Power of fans

While spectators are asked to be quiet when the ball is in play, Kawashima says the support from fans can make a huge difference.

"Fans give athletes power," Kawashima said. "Goalball is a sport involving sound, so it may be tricky for people to cheer. But if they can cheer for athletes right after a goal or when they ball is not in play, that would help a lot.

"People can't miss Paris 2024. That's because they get to see that people with or without disabilities can play sports among the very best in the world," Kawashima said. "They get to see new possibilities in people."

Discover more about goalball and the 22 sports in the Paris 2024 Paralympic sports programme