The penultimate day of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games saw action from various sports, with badminton awarding its first gold medalists; Brazil, Iran and the Netherlands celebrating team victories; and the Japanese Shingo Kunieda shedding tears of joy with the gold on his court.
Here are some of the main moments of the eleventh day (September 4):
SHINGO KUNIEDA, KING OF THE TRACK
Shingo Kunieda, one of Japan’s proud Paralympians, did not disappoint on the home court. The multiple Grand Slams winner continued to etch his name in wheelchair tennis history after winning his third Paralympic title in the men’s singles category.
It took Kunieda less than an hour to defeat Dutchman Tom Egberink and add him to the back-to-back titles he won in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and the 2004 Athens doubles title. The home win was also a rematch for not being on the podium. in Rio 2016.
Australian Dylan Alcott defended his Paralympic quad title after beating Dutchman Sam Schroeder in straight sets.
BRIGHTNESS OF THE BADMINTON
Malaysian Cheah Liek Hou claimed the first gold medal in Para badminton after beating Indonesian Dheva Anrimusthi in straight sets in the men’s SU5 category. The victory tasted even sweeter for Cheah in light of his semi-final loss to the Indonesian at the 2019 World Championships, which ended his streak of three consecutive men’s singles world titles.
Japan’s Satomi Sarina became the first player to win Paralympic gold after a thrilling three-set match against Thailand’s Sujirat Pookkham in the WH1 women’s singles final.
TEAM EFFORT
The Netherlands women’s wheelchair basketball team made history by bringing home the Paralympic gold medal for the first time in the sport after dominating China 50-31. It was also historic for China, which had not reached a Paralympic final in a Games until Tokyo.
The Brazilian soccer 5 team won its fifth consecutive Paralympic title and Morocco also made history in the bronze medal match.
Replaying the 2004 Athens final, and the gold medal matches at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games, the 2019 American Championship and the 2018 World Championship, Brazil and Argentina met again in Tokyo 2020.
After a goalless first half, Brazilian Nonato ended the drought in the 32nd minute with a solo dribble between Argentina’s outfield players and a shot with the tip of his left foot that sneaked into the net and secured the victory. by 1-0.
Iran proved once again that it is the undisputed king of sitting volleyball courts after a resounding 4-0 victory over RPC. It is his seventh Paralympic title.
ROWING TOWARDS GLORY
The rafting competition was closed to perfection, as Curtis McGrath, the sport’s most popular athlete, earned his second Gold of the Games in the men’s VL3 event, and the third of his career. After defending his Rio 2016 gold medal in the KL2 event on Friday, the Australian became the first speed boating athlete to win two golds at a Games.
Germany’s Edina Mueller and former London 2012 wheelchair basketball champion won the KL1 event, improving on the silver medal she got in Rio.
Brazilian Fernando Rufino, a new face on the boating scene and a former bull rider, won the men’s VL2. For their part, Charlotte Henshaw and Laura Sugar won gold in KL2 and KL3 respectively for Great Britain.
THE OWNER OF THE SHOOTING RANGE
India continued to surprise at Tokyo 2020, this time with 19-year-old Manish Narwal. The teenage talent prevailed in a dramatic final of P4 (50m mixed pistol SH1) in which the leadership changed hands several times. In the final round, Narwal found himself challenging Singhraj for gold, and it was Narwal who captured his first Paralympic gold medal. India now has five shooting medals, having never won a shooting medal before the 2020 Paralympic Games.
OTHER EVENTS
Italy’s Ambra Sabatini smashed the 100m world record to spearhead an Italian sweep on the final night of action on the track, which ended in spectacular fashion on Saturday. The 19-year-old triumphed in the T63 women’s final just two years after her left leg was amputated above the knee after a fall on her scooter.
Taekwondo concluded its Paralympic debut with the crowning of a pair of Paralympic champions: Uzbek Guljonoy Naimova in women’s K44 weighing up to 58kg and Iranian Asghar Aziziaghdam in men’s K44 over 75kg.
In archery, RPC’s Margarita Sidorenko and Kirill Smirnov defeated a pair from Italy in the recurve mixed tag team title in a tiebreaker, winning a battle of surprise finalists at the close of archery competitions in Tokyo 2020. The victory and the medal elevate RPC to fourth place in the archery medal table at the Games.
