The Japan Blind Football Association is holding a domestic training camp for the Blind Football Men's (5-a-side football) Japan National Team from 7th to 15th of August for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games, which will start on 24 August.

Although this will be Japan’s first appearance in the Paralympic Games, they have finished as the runners-up in their most recent international competition, “Santen IBSA Blind Football World Grand Prix 2021 in Shinagawa (World Grand Prix),” which took place between 30 May to 5 June, and the team has continued to train for the Paralympics since then.

At the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games, group league matches of 5-a-side football will take place between Sunday 29 and Tuesday 31 August, where teams will play three consecutive matches. In their first group match, Japan is scheduled to face France, an opponent they have beaten 1-0 at the World Grand Prix, before facing the four-time defending champions Brazil in their second match. The team will then face Asian champions China PR, a match coach TAKADA Satoshi described as “Key match for our advancement to the semi-finals.”

Blind Football Men's (5-a-side football) Japan National Team

Sqaud
FP KAWAMURA Ryo (Papelecial Shinagawa)
FP KURODA Tomonari (Tama Hassas)
FP SASAKI Roberto Izumi (Papelecial Shinagawa)
FP TANAKA Akihito (Tama Hassas)
FP SASAKI Yasuhiro (Fantas Chiba SSC Matsudo Warriors)
FP SONOBE Yuzuki (free bird mejirodai)
FP TERANISHI Hajime (Papelecial Shinagawa)
FP HINATA Satoru (Tama Hassas)
GK SATO Daisuke (Tama Hassas)
GK KAMIYAMA Masashi (Glauben Freund Tokyo)

Coach

Coach: TAKADA Satoshi
Guide/Assistant Coach: NAKAGWA Eiji
Assistant Coach: UEBAYASHI Tomohito
Physical Coach: NAKANO Takashi
Doctor: KAWABATA Yusuke
Interpreter/Assistant Coach: FUKUNAGA Yoshiki
Manager: KOYAMA Akiko

Group Stage (World Rank)

Group A: Japan (12th), Brazil (2nd), France (14th), China PR (5th)
Group B: Morocco (10th), Argentina (1st), Spain (3rd), Thailand (13th)

Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games 5-a-side football
Schedule of Japan National Team

Sun. 29 August: Japan vs France
Mon. 30 August: Brazil vs Japan
Tue. 31 August: Japan vs China PR
Thu. 2 September: Semi-finals/5-6th place play-off/7-8th place play-off
Sat. 4 September: Final/Bronze medal match

Coach's Comment

TAKADA Satoshi, Coach
The Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games is just around the corner. We are grateful to be given the opportunity to face France who finished second in the European Championships, Brazil who have won the past four Paralympics, and China PR who are the current Asian champions. We will believe in the efforts we have put in for this tournament and the potential of the team, and give our best efforts to achieve our goal of winning a medal.