Silver Medal Marks New Era for Japan’s Para Badminton; Diligent Efforts Made to Improve Athletes’ Abilities

By Yoshinaga Azekawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Sportswriter

15:41 JST, September 2, 2024

PARIS — A second consecutive Paralympic gold was not to be for Japan’s Sarina Satomi and Yuma Yamazaki, who took the silver medal in women’s para badminton in Paris on Sunday.

Satomi had sought to repeat her victory, and she briefly looked down the moment they lost in the final. However, she quickly smiled and praised her partner Yamazaki, who is 10 years older than Satomi.

“I’m gutted. But I was able to fight on with the power of the cheering from the stands,” Satomi said. She added that she felt a different kind of satisfaction from the Tokyo Paralympic Games three years ago, which was held without spectators.

Satomi and Yamazaki battled a Chinese pair in the final who were ranked above them. Satomi won against one of the Chinese players in the singles semifinal, but doubles are a different beast. She said she felt intimidated by the pair, who played a rock-solid game.

The two pairs also met in the group stage, where the Japanese pair was soundly beaten. Satomi and Yamazaki studied information they gained from the defeat, and tried to use the court more extensively in the final. At one stage, they managed to win five points in a row.

Para badminton became an official Paralympic sport for the first time from the Tokyo Games, and Japan won nine medals in the event. This feat drew attention as an example of success in para sports, for Japan’s para badminton worked diligently to improve female players’ abilities, train young players and invite instructors from overseas. Satomi and Yamazaki have been the most notable figures in these efforts.

After the final, Yamazaki revealed that this would be her last Paralympic Games. The match thus proved to be a milestone for Japan’s para badminton to move on to the next era.