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| Date of birth | January 29, 1975 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Nagasu, Kumamoto, Japan | ||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Wheelchair rugby player | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
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Medal record | |||||||||||||||||
Shinichi Shimakawa (島川 慎一, Shimakawa Shinichi, born January 29, 1975) is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player who currently plays for Barclays Securities and the Japanese national team. He participated in the Summer Paralympics in 2012 and won a bronze medal in the 2016, 2020 editions and a gold medal in the 2024 edition.
At the age of 21, Shimakawa was involved in a traffic accident that damaged his cervical spinal cord, forcing him to use a wheelchair. In summer 1999, he started playing wheelchair rugby after watching a match. In 2005, he founded "BLITZ". To date, he has won the Japan Championships eight times. At the same time, he began playing in the USQRA (US domestic league) as a member of the Phoenix Heat from the 2005–2006 season. In the 2005–2006 season, he won his first USQRA Division I Nationals (US Championships) and became the first foreign player to receive the USQRA Athlete of the Year award. After that, he played in the US domestic league for a total of four seasons, winning the US national championship in two of those seasons.
In 2021, Shimakawa was selected as a recommended player for the Japanese national team for the 2020 Summer Paralympics and won a bronze medal. [1] [2]
In 2016, Shimakawa received the Saitama Sports Achievement Award. [3]
Takashi Sanada is a Paralympic tennis player from Japan who won a series of national championships such as 2011 Osaka Open, Japan Open and Peace Cup. He also was a winner of international championships such as Taiwan Open and the Gauteng Open in South Africa.
The Japan men's national wheelchair basketball team is the wheelchair basketball side that represents Japan in international competitions for men as part of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation.
The Japan women's national wheelchair basketball team is the wheelchair basketball side that represents Japan in international competitions for women as part of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation.
The Japan national wheelchair rugby team (日本全国車椅子ラグビーチーム) represents Japan in international wheelchair rugby. Japan is the third most successful team in the Asia-Oceania region, finishing outside the medal places only once in eight appearances at the IWRF Asia-Oceania Championship. Japan have won the tournament once, in 2015 and are also the 2014 Asian Para Games champions. They have reached six Summer Paralympics, winning the gold medal at the 2024 Games in Paris.
Tsubasa Kina is a Japanese wheelchair racer, who won the women's wheelchair race at the 2020 and 2021 Tokyo Marathons, and came third at the 2018 Tokyo Marathon. She is the national record holder in the women's wheelchair marathon, and competed at the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Renshi Chokai is a Japanese wheelchair basketball player. He won a silver medal in Men's wheelchair basketball, at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Mitsuteru Moroishi is a Japanese wheelchair tennis player. He represented Japan at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in quad singles and quad doubles and at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in quad singles and quad doubles. His doubles partner both years was Shota Kawano. At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, he and Koji Sugeno won bronze medals for Japan in the quad doubles event. Moroishi also finished 9th in the quad singles event. He was born in Konan and resides in Kakamigahara.
Koji Sugeno is a Japanese wheelchair tennis player. At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, he and Mitsuteru Moroishi won bronze medals for Japan in the quad doubles event. Sugeno also finished 4th in the quad singles event. He was born in Ageo and resides in Tokyo.
Uran Sawada is a Japanese para-athlete competing mainly in category F12 long jump and 100 metres events. She holds the Japanese record in both.
Mika Mizuta is a Japanese Paralympic shooter. She specializes in 10m air rifle prone shooting.
Daisuke Ikezaki is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player. On the club level, he is currently plays for the Tokyo Suns.
Kae Kurahashi is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player who currently plays for Mitsui O.S.K. Lines/AXE and the Japanese national team.
Yuki Hasegawa is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player who currently plays for Société Générale Securities and the Japanese national team.
Hitoshi Ogawa is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player who currently plays for Bayer Yakuhin/Centerpole and the Japanese national team.
Katsuya Hashimoto is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player who currently plays for the Tohoku Stormers and the Japanese national team.
Yukinobo Ike is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player whose position class is 3.0. He currently plays for Nikko Asset Management/Kochi Freedom and has captained the Japanese national team since 2014. He won a bronze medal in the 2016 and 2020 Summer Paralympics and a gold medal in the 2024 edition.
Masayuki Haga is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player who currently plays for PeptiDream/AXE and the Japanese national team.
Shunya Nakamachi is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player who currently plays for COLOPL and the Japanese national team.
Seiya Norimatsu is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player who currently plays for Team SMBC and the Japanese national team.
Hidefumi Wakayama is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player who currently plays for Shizuoka Bank/CENTERPOLE and the Japanese national team.
